WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has indicated that diplomatic efforts with Iran are advancing, expressing hope for a possible agreement to prevent renewed hostilities, as Tehran reported intensive negotiations and offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz subject to specific conditions.
The latest diplomatic developments emerged just days before the US midterm elections, with Trump’s Republican Party facing voter concerns over the conflict and the resulting surge in fuel prices.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said an agreement with Iran was possible, adding that Tehran wanted a settlement at the earliest opportunity.
However, hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough were clouded by a Wall Street Journal report claiming that the United States had carried out another round of limited strikes against Iran in recent weeks.
Iranian state media reported five successive explosions on Qeshm island, located in the Strait of Hormuz. The US Central Command had not immediately responded to an AFP request for comment.
The report emerged shortly before voting began in the midterm elections, in which Democrats are seeking to gain at least partial control of Congress and increase political pressure on the president.
Iran confirms intensive diplomatic contacts
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said indirect negotiations with Washington were continuing through regional mediators.
He described the consultations as intensive, given the seriousness of the situation, and acknowledged the active mediation efforts of Qatar and Pakistan.
US Vice President JD Vance also expressed optimism about the possibility of reaching an understanding, saying Washington had made progress and hoped to achieve further gains.
China called for a diplomatic solution, while Iran’s security chief held discussions on the conflict with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, Axios reported that Vance had sent a letter to Iranian national security chief Mohsen Rezaei regarding the possibility of restarting negotiations. The reported communication represented the highest-level diplomatic initiative in several months.
Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref described messages from Washington as an acknowledgement of Tehran’s victory.
A senior Iranian official also said the country was prepared to reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, provided the United States accepted its demands.
Tehran rules out concessions on sovereignty
China also held separate meetings with Iranian and Saudi officials in Beijing.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Ali Bagheri, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, that Beijing supported Tehran in protecting its sovereignty and security.
According to Iranian state television, Bagheri told Wang that Iran’s position on defending its national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity remained unchanged and that Tehran would not make concessions on these matters.
In an interview with Al Jazeera released on Sunday, Araghchi said the United States would have to accept a new transit arrangement for the Strait of Hormuz agreed upon by Iran and Oman.
He also called for the removal of recently imposed US sanctions and a reduction in American military deployments across the region.
Despite the diplomatic contacts, Trump has continued issuing warnings to Tehran. On Sunday, he suggested Washington might have to use force against Iran at an unspecified time.
A day earlier, he said the United States still needed to deal with one or two targets, including Pickaxe Mountain in central Iran, which is suspected of housing a nuclear facility — a claim Tehran rejects.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei warned that any aggression against the country would trigger a powerful, immediate and comprehensive response.
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