U.S. dollar ticks up

The U.S. dollar strengthened in late trading on Thursday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, added 0.64 percent to 102.102 at 15:00 (1900 GMT).

In late New York trading, the euro was down to 1.1235 dollars from 1.1332 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound fell to 1.319 dollars from 1.3262 dollars in the previous session.

The U.S. dollar bought 158.11 Japanese yen, higher than 157.34 Japanese yen of the previous session. The U.S. dollar lost to 0.8317 Swiss francs from 0.8354 Swiss francs, and it rose to 1.4236 Canadian dollars from 1.4229 Canadian dollars. The U.S. dollar was up to 10.0597 Swedish kronor from 10.0103 Swedish kronor.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that his country will never shy away from dialogue with the United States.

"We have never shied away from talks, and we never will, although the United States has targeted our country three times despite having signed an agreement," the semi-official Tasnim News Agency quoted him as saying.

He criticized the U.S. for not seeking talks with Iran, saying Tehran is weighing Washington's response to its latest proposal.

Iran said a day earlier it had received a formal U.S. reply to its proposal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. media reported Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington may ramp up military strikes against Iran after November's midterm elections.

A day earlier, Trump told reporters military action could come if no deal is reached with Iran, adding the time for a decision is drawing near.

The U.S. and Iran held a new round of indirect talks in New York on Monday. U.S. media said negotiations hit an impasse as neither side was willing to make concessions. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has returned to Tehran from New York.

Earlier, Araghchi announced at a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York on Sept. 25 that Iran had relayed conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and advancing negotiations to Washington via Qatar.

According to U.S. media reports, Iran has proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the U.S. lifts its naval blockade, lifts oil sales sanctions, and restores a regional ceasefire. Trump said on Sept. 26 he had rejected the proposal.