The US and five other world powers agreed yesterday to reopen negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme in a move seen by many diplomats as a last chance to forge a negotiated solution to the Iranian crisis and avoid an air strike by Israel.
The announcement that the US, Russia, China, the UK, France and Germany plan to meet Iran helped push down the price of oil as much as 2 per cent, sending Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, briefly below $122 a barrel for the first time in a week.
The first attempt to relaunch talks with Iran, which claims its nuclear programme is wholly civilian, in more than a year will see representatives of the six powers meet Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator next month.