Rubio says there are signs Iran's supreme leader is more engaged

Israel's new Mossad chief Roman Gofman said the Israeli military actions against Iran and its regional allies had changed the balance of power in the Middle East, but said the task was not yet complete.

“The strategic reversal that we brought about against the Iranian axis has changed the balance of power across the entire region,” Gofman said at a welcoming ceremony after taking over as head of the intelligence agency.

“But the task is not yet complete. The heart of the Mossad lies in covert operations against its targets. We will safeguard that mission at all costs,” he added.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday said Washington remained in talks with Iran and that there was a prospect Tehran had agreed to discuss aspects of its nuclear program it had previously refused to address.

"Now, we are in talks, and I say talks because talks with Iran are not like talks with Switzerland. Okay? They're very different. They require the use of intermediaries, unfortunately. But there is the prospect before us. Which could happen today, it could happen tomorrow, it could happen next week," he said.

"For the first time certainly in in my memory, they have agreed to negotiate aspects of their nuclear program that just a month ago, just a year ago, they were refusing to even mention, much less enter into discussions about," he added.

He said that Iran's "internal regime is somewhat fractured," which had complicated the talks and meant it took days to get responses from Tehran.

Rubio added that Iran still had many drones, but added that its conventional shield had been substantially eroded.

A surge in US crude oil shipments to Asia is not enough to offset the loss of cargoes caused by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Reuters commentary piece published on Tuesday.

Asia imported 63.56 million barrels of US crude in May, a record monthly volume, while Kpler data shows arrivals are expected to rise further in June and July, the report said.

However, at least 10 million barrels per day of oil supply remain unavailable as the conflict involving Iran continues, despite efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to reroute some exports outside the strait, the report said.

British couple Craig and Lindsay Foreman, who are being held in Iran, have lost their appeal against a 10-year prison sentence, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing their family.

The family said the couple were not allowed to attend the appeal hearing and had little information about the proceedings.

The Foremans were sentenced to 10 years in a Tehran prison after Iran charged them with espionage, allegations they deny.

Message exchanges between Iran and the United States aimed at reaching an initial memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington were suspended at least several days, IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency reported on Tuesday, citing an informed source.

Iran’s last message to Washington was "a clear message regarding Lebanon," the source was quoted as saying.