Iran Rial hits record low

Dubai: Iran's currency fell to a new record low on Tuesday, with traders in Tehran exchanging more than 2.5 million rials for the US dollar, a stark reflection of how the war in West Asia has steadily eroded the Iranian economy.

The latest decline came just 27 days after the rial hit its previous record low of 2.2 million to the dollar on Sept. 2. The currency has repeatedly reached new lows since the war began in February.

Meanwhile, Iran's top diplomat said indirect negotiations with the United States aimed at reopening the critical Strait of Hormuz had become "more serious", while Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps chief spokesman Gen. Hossein Mohebbi on Tuesday called on Americans to take to the streets and protest the conflict.