Level 1 - Absolute Beginner

Iran says it wants to talk. Its president said Iran does not want nuclear weapons.

There is trouble at sea too. Iran's Guards say a big oil ship hit a mine. The ship caught fire. This news is not confirmed.

The United States says ships can still pass. Iran says the sea road is closed. President Trump says no attacks for now.

president

the leader of a country

talks

a meeting to solve a problem with words

mine

a hidden bomb in the sea

fire

hot flames that burn

ship

a big boat

oil

a thick liquid used for fuel

sea

a very large area of salt water

closed

not open

Level 2 - Elementary

Iran's president said on Friday that his country does not want nuclear weapons and is ready for talks. An army spokesman said the Strait of Hormuz will open again if the United States leaves the Middle East.

On Saturday the Revolutionary Guards said a supertanker hit a naval mine in the strait and caught fire. Nobody outside Iran has confirmed the story. A shipping safety group said ten attacks on ships were reported in the week that ended Friday.

The United States says traffic keeps moving through the strait. Iran says the strait is closed. President Trump has paused strikes during the election season, but he said the country may have to hit the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site one day. Oil prices are rising.

spokesman

a person who speaks for a group

nuclear

related to the power inside atoms, used for energy or bombs

strait

a narrow water road between two lands

supertanker

a huge ship that carries oil

confirmed

shown to be true

attack

a violent act against someone

election

a vote to choose leaders

prices

the money you pay for things

Level 3 - Intermediate

Iran's president said on Friday that Tehran is not pursuing nuclear weapons and is willing to negotiate, while an army spokesman insisted the Strait of Hormuz would reopen only if American forces left the region. The two messages show a government speaking in two tones at once.

On Saturday the Revolutionary Guards said a supertanker had struck a naval mine in the strait and caught fire. The claim could not be independently verified, and similar claims since late August have often lacked details about the ship, its cargo or its crew. A British maritime monitor recorded ten attacks on vessels in the week that ended Friday.

The United States Central Command rejects Iran's claim of control and says commercial traffic continues. Fox News reported that officials are studying the use of the biggest conventional bomb against underground sites. Mr. Trump has paused strikes until after the November midterms, yet he has said the Pickaxe Mountain site may need to be hit, and he has ruled out nuclear weapons and ground troops.

The Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia continue, and traders are pricing in the risk to shipping, which keeps oil prices elevated.

negotiate

to talk in order to reach an agreement

reopen

to open again

independently

without help or influence from others

verified

checked and proven true

cargo

goods carried by a ship

vessel

a ship or large boat

elevated

higher than normal

midterms

elections held halfway through a president's term

Level 4 - Advanced

Iran's president used a Friday appearance to deny that Tehran seeks a nuclear arsenal and to signal readiness for talks, a conciliatory note undercut within hours by an army spokesman who said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen only if American forces quit the region. The dissonance is characteristic of a leadership that must satisfy both diplomats and hardliners.

The Revolutionary Guards then asserted that a supertanker had struck a naval mine and was ablaze. The assertion is unverified, and the Guards' earlier claims since late August have routinely omitted the vessel's identity, flag and casualties. Still, a British maritime monitor logged ten attacks on shipping in the week to Friday, and the pattern is hard to dismiss.

American commanders insist that commercial and energy traffic continues to flow and reject Tehran's claim of control. Fox News reported that Washington is weighing its largest conventional munition against deeply buried nuclear facilities, while Mr. Trump, who has suspended strikes through the November midterms, conceded that the Pickaxe Mountain site may eventually have to be hit. He has excluded nuclear weapons and ground troops.

Meanwhile, Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia persist, the British government counsels against all but essential travel there, and the insurance premium on Gulf transits keeps crude prices stubbornly high.

conciliatory

intended to calm anger and make peace

undercut

to weaken or damage

dissonance

a clash between two things that do not agree

hardliners

people who refuse to compromise

munition

a weapon such as a bomb or shell

conceded

admitted something, often reluctantly

premium

the price paid for insurance

stubbornly

in a way that refuses to change