Stock market news, Aug. 13 -- Indian equities remained under pressure in afternoon trade on Thursday, with the benchmark indices heading for a third consecutive session of decline, as stalled Middle East peace efforts kept crude oil prices elevated and weighed on investor sentiment.

Iran and the US remained at odds over efforts to reach a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim agreement reached in June.

At around 12:55 IST, the Nifty 50 was down 0.28% at 24,368.75, while the BSE Sensex was largely flat at 77,892.50. Both indices have declined around 1% from Monday's close.

Brent crude futures were trading near ...