{"text":[[{"start":10.85,"text":"Iran’s top negotiators travelled to Qatar on Monday as mediators intensified efforts to thrash out the final details of a deal between the Islamic republic and Washington to extend a fragile ceasefire by 60 days and reopen the Strait of Hormuz."}],[{"start":28.049999999999997,"text":"The visit to Doha by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s powerful parliamentary speaker and lead negotiator, and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, was part of ongoing discussions as mediators seek to nail down the final details of an agreement, a person briefed on the discussions said."}],[{"start":44.75,"text":"Tasnim, a semi-official state news agency affiliated with Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, confirmed the visit. "}],[{"start":53.1,"text":"Iran’s central bank governor, Abdolnaser Hemmati, also travelled to Qatar on Monday to discuss the release of the Islamic republic’s frozen assets held overseas, according to Iranian state media. "}],[{"start":65.3,"text":"Iran has $6bn held in Qatar, which has been playing a more prominent role in mediation efforts over the past week alongside Pakistan. "}],[{"start":73.85,"text":"Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei had earlier blamed the US for the delay in agreeing a deal, saying Washington was changing its position, which “naturally disrupts any talks”. But he added that the two sides “have reached conclusions on many issues”."}],[{"start":90,"text":"Posting on his Truth Social platform on Monday, US President Donald Trump said: “Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely! It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all — Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before — And nobody wants that!”"}],[{"start":108.1,"text":"Diplomats say both sides want a deal, but the comments reflect the tenuous nature of the talks between the warring parties, which harbour deep distrust of each other and are loath to be seen to be caving to their enemy."}],[{"start":118.8,"text":"Hopes of an agreement rose over the weekend after Trump said on Saturday that the “final aspects and details” of an agreement were “currently being discussed” and would “be announced shortly”. "}],[{"start":129.05,"text":"But he later said he had told US negotiators “not to rush into a deal” with Iran, saying “both sides must take their time and get it right”. "}],[{"start":137.8,"text":"On Sunday, Trump tempered expectations of an imminent deal by saying it “isn’t even fully negotiated yet”. "}],[{"start":145,"text":"Hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough caused oil prices to drop on Monday during Asian trading. Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, fell 5.2 per cent to $98.15 a barrel. US oil prices dropped 5.5 per cent to $91.28 a barrel. Asian stock markets rose and US and European stock futures also advanced. "}],[{"start":168.25,"text":"Reopening the Strait of Hormuz has been one of Trump’s priorities as he seeks to ease the worst global energy crisis in decades, which was triggered by Iran’s ability to slow the flow of shipping through the narrow waterway to a trickle. "}],[{"start":182,"text":"Under the terms of the agreement, Iran would gradually allow the strait to reopen and remove mines from the waterway, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas normally passes. It would not charge ships a fee for the duration of the 60-day period, according to people briefed on the talks. "}],[{"start":198,"text":"The US would also ease its naval blockade on Iranian ports. "}],[{"start":202.35,"text":"Talks would also begin over Iran’s nuclear programme, with a commitment to discuss Tehran either diluting or handing over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. "}],[{"start":213.4,"text":"Trump has repeatedly said he wants Iran to hand over what he describes as its “nuclear dust”."}],[{"start":219.4,"text":"Later on Monday, Trump posted that the uranium “will either be immediately turned over to the United States . . . or, preferably, in conjunction with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place, or at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event”. "}],[{"start":239.3,"text":"The US would agree, in phases, to sanctions relief and unfreezing Tehran’s assets held overseas, depending on the progress of talks towards a final deal. "}],[{"start":249.75,"text":"Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday told the communications and information technology ministry to reconnect the global internet, which has been cut off throughout the war."}],[{"start":261.15,"text":"On Monday, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said there was a “pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the strait, get the strait open, enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter, and hopefully we can pull it off”."}],[{"start":277.45,"text":"Iran’s foreign ministry said Iran also wanted the deal to end the war on “all fronts”, indicating that Tehran wants any agreement to include the conflict between Israel and Hizbollah in Lebanon. "}],[{"start":290.05,"text":"The war erupted when the US and Israel launched attacks on the Islamic republic on February 28 and swiftly spread across the Middle East as Iran responded by firing barrages of missiles and drones at Gulf states. "}],[{"start":306.15000000000003,"text":"A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 8, but Pakistani and Qatari mediators have stepped up their efforts to secure a deal over the past week as Trump signalled he was considering resuming strikes against Iran. "}],[{"start":319.6,"text":"Additional reporting by Claire Jones in Washington"}],[{"start":331.85,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1779755384_6482.mp3"}