From Nuclear Deal to Shadow Wars

A lot is going on with Iran. And as usual, it's murky — from a troubled nuclear deal to shadow war in Middle East waters.

Iran and world powers will head into more talks in Vienna this week, with the Persian Gulf nation focused on getting U.S. sanctions removed in a single step. Washington has stuck to its position that restrictions will be lifted only after Iran complies with the 2015 nuclear agreement.

The most serious attempt at resurrecting the nuclear deal comes amid a flurry of seemingly contradictory events, roiling attempts to read Tehran's true intentions.

Iran last week released a South Korean vessel it seized three months ago, a move that it hopes will unlock $7 billion in oil revenue trapped in South Korea because of U.S. sanctions. Iran then upped the ante on the nuclear front, starting to enrich uranium at its underground Natanz plant. And the facility itself then reported suffering an electrical problem on Sunday.

Finally, the mysterious attacks on vessels in Mideast waters continue. An Iranian-flagged vessel was hit with mines in the Red Sea, apparently by Israel. That followed attacks involving Iranian and Israeli vessels over the past month in the Arabian Sea and in the Mediterranean Sea.

The markets will be watching: any meaningful move on nuclear talks and easing of penalties will allow Iran to open its oil spigots.