President Donald Trump is willing to ease sanctions on Iran and release frozen Iranian funds if Tehran makes concrete nuclear progress, while Qatari mediators pursue separate discussions with Iran and the United States on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has indicated flexibility but remains divided with Washington over the timing and sequence of commitments, and Trump rejected Tehran's latest proposal as unacceptable because it sought major concessions upfront. Oil prices settled higher after initially rising more than $4 a barrel, with Brent at $105.28 and WTI at $92.60. Middle East crude exports recovered to 12.8 million barrels per day in September, but Hormuz flows remained below pre-conflict levels, while diesel markets faced additional pressure from supply disruptions, export restrictions and possible U.S. regulatory changes.