Live Updates: U.S. and Iran locked in a stalemate as 60-day negotiation period ends - CBS News
President Trump is navigating a complex geopolitical landscape as a 60-day negotiation window with Iran concludes amid rising oil prices and shifting military strategies. The administration is scaling back drills with South Korea while maintaining a diplomatic dialogue with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.
Why it matters
The intersection of Middle Eastern conflict, North Korean nuclear diplomacy, and domestic economic volatility directly impacts global market stability and U.S. foreign policy.
Follow updates on the war in the Middle East for Tuesday, Aug. 18, here . See earlier developments below.
Japan underlined on Tuesday that security cooperation with the United States and South Korea was "critical" for the region's stability, after President Trump alarmed allies by scaling back military drills with Seoul while hailing his ties with Pyongyang.
Mr. Trump abruptly announced on Sunday that he had ordered the Pentagon to scale back "inappropriate and hostile" military drills with South Korea.
The following day he insisted he was making the situation "much safer" through his ties with the North's Kim Jong Un, whom he met three times in his first term but has yet to encounter since his return to the White House.
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