The United States and Iran have announced progress in negotiations amid the closure of Hormuz. What the media is writing

Following the talks between the United States and Iran in Geneva, both sides announced progress and agreed to continue communication. Against this background, oil prices went down, even though the Iranian military temporarily blocked the Strait of Hormuz. Nevertheless, the possibility of a military conflict between the two countries still remains. What the media write about the negotiations is in the Izvestia digest.

NBC News: US and Iran declare progress in nuclear talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the United States and Iran have reached an understanding on the "guiding principles" of the nuclear talks, although he warned that much work still needs to be done to reach an agreement and prevent the threat of a military attack from the United States. The American official echoed his words, saying that "progress has been made, but there is still much to discuss."

The positive comments from Tehran came amid an acceleration in the massive build-up of American military power. US President Donald Trump is seeking to put pressure on the Islamic Republic to conclude a new nuclear agreement after a brutal crackdown on nationwide unrest. Trump has said that "regime change" in Tehran may be the best thing that can happen, but Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that any U.S. attempts to overthrow his government would fail.

Associated Press: Iran announces temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz

Iran announced on February 17 that it would temporarily close the Strait of Hormuz for live-fire exercises, in a rare show of force, while its negotiators held another round of indirect talks with the United States on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. This was the first time Iran announced the closure of a key international waterway through which 20% of the world's oil supplies pass, since the United States began threatening Iran and deploying military forces to the region. Such a rare and possibly unprecedented step could further escalate tensions that threaten to unleash a new war in the Middle East.

Iran said its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps began exercises early on February 16 in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, which are major international shipping lanes. This is the second live firing exercise conducted by Iran in recent weeks in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran often conducts military exercises in the strait, which can hinder maritime navigation, but the announced closure has gone even further.

Bloomberg: oil prices are stable amid signals from the United States and Iran about progress

Oil prices remained stable after positive talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran's OPEC nuclear program. The global benchmark Brent crude was virtually unchanged, being above $67 per barrel after declining by almost 2% on Tuesday, while the WTI brand approached the $62 mark.

Trading volumes in the Asian period (active hours of the exchanges of the Asia-Pacific countries. February 18 may be lower than usual, as a number of countries celebrate the Lunar New Year. These include Singapore and China, the world's largest importer of oil.

CNN: how long will Trump allow diplomatic measures against Iran?

After three and a half hours of exchanging notes, the Iranian and American representatives concluded their proximity talks in Geneva, agreeing to continue the dialogue. What exactly they are discussing remains an open question. It is unclear whether both sides are focused only on Iran's nuclear program or on other issues such as ballistic missiles. Iran's chief negotiator said only that he had reached a "set of guiding principles." The American official was more cautious, admitting that "there are still many details to be discussed."

So far, Trump has authorized a gradual exchange of information, often characteristic of important international transactions, sending his envoys Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to foreign missions to exchange documents with Iranian diplomats. However, according to people familiar with his views, Trump also fears that he may be "pulled by the hand" by the Iranian regime, seeking to gain time. His allies have warned that this could be Iran's intention, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlighted this argument at an urgently scheduled meeting last week.

Nuclear breakthrough: Will the US and Iran reach a new deal

Despite the dialogue, the US military is preparing for a military operation against the Islamic Republic.

The New York Times: Trump is betting on diplomacy without diplomats

Over the past year, the Trump administration has used unconventional diplomacy, gunboat diplomacy, and in the most difficult, crisis situations, diplomacy without diplomats. On Tuesday, the administration tried all three tactics simultaneously. In Geneva, Trump's most trusted envoys — his real estate friend Steve Witkoff and son—in-law Jared Kushner - entered into talks with the Iranians in the morning, and then in the afternoon with the Russians and Ukrainians.

They speak the language of negotiators and don't spend much time lecturing on human rights or building democracy. And often their interlocutors on diplomatic issues are closely linked to the business deals that the Trump and Witkoff families conclude. Iranians have developed a nickname for Kushner using the Persian word for son-in-law: Damad Trump, which again underscores his influence through his marriage to the president's daughter Ivanka.