US to send thousands more soldiers to the Middle East, reports say, as Trump claims ‘negotiations’ continue

Iran has denied talks with the US, with Iran’s parliamentary speaker saying such claims are “fake news” and being “used to manipulate financial and oil markets”

The Pentagon is expected to send thousands of troops from the elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, two people familiar with the matter have told Reuters.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not specify the exact location where the troops would be deployed or when they were expected to arrive in the region.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the top Iranian military command, Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, has insisted that Iran maintains a “powerful” military and will fight the US and Israel “until complete victory.”

Read more

US President Donald Trump earlier said that diplomatic talks with Iran were taking place, and that that is the reason why he postponed military strikes on Iranian power plants for five days. Tehran, however, has dismissed reports of discussions with Washington.

Following Trump’s promised reprieve, Brent oil prices plunged more than 13%, but soon rebounded to over $100 after Iran’s denial.

Here are the latest developments:

• Donald Trump has claimed Iran “agreed they will never have a nuclear weapon.”
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that while his “friend” Trump seeks to “leverage the massive achievements of the IDF and the US military” in potential talks, Israel is “continuing to strike” both Iran and Lebanon to keep up the pressure. 
• Tehran has denied that talks with the US are taking place, with Iran’s parliamentary speaker saying such claims are “fake news” and being “used to manipulate financial and oil markets.” 

Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.