Iranian consultations on talks with the US mediated by Pakistan and Qatar are ongoing

Summary: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has said that consultations are underway for possible talks with the US mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, but Tehran does not currently intend to meet US officials directly. Iran has also agreed to limit the implementation period of its seven-day proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz to two days, but this will require US approval of the conditions.

Tehran: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has said that consultations are ongoing regarding possible negotiations with the United States under the mediation of Pakistan and Qatar, but Iran does not currently feel the need to meet US officials directly.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Abbas Araqchi said that the message sent by US Vice President JD Vance is being carefully reviewed at the highest level. According to him, the US government’s attempt at a broader dialogue is a positive development, but the decision to hold negotiations will be conditional on Iran’s conditions being met.

The Iranian Foreign Minister said that mediators from Pakistan and Qatar are continuously consulting on Iranian conditions. If these conditions are agreed upon, Tehran will choose the path of direct or indirect negotiations.

He clarified that there are no plans to meet US officials in the current circumstances. According to him, Iran’s position and demands are clear and diplomatic contacts can be continued through mediation.

Abbas Araqchi also revealed a significant change in the Iranian proposal regarding the restoration of the Strait of Hormuz. He said that Iran had initially set a seven-day period for the implementation of the plan, but Qatar proposed to limit it to five days.

He said that after consultations, a proposal has now been prepared under which the implementation period of the plan will be two days. Under this, the United States will have to take certain measures on the first day, while the proposal is to open the Strait of Hormuz and restore maritime traffic on the second day.

Iran has also put forward several conditions for the plan. These include the lifting of sanctions imposed after the Islamabad Accord, a reduction in the US military presence in the region, the restoration of exemptions regarding the sale of Iranian oil, and the return of frozen Iranian assets abroad.

One of Tehran’s main demands is to recognise the new shipping lanes agreed between Iran and Oman in the Strait of Hormuz and to close other routes. According to Araqchi, implementing these conditions could pave the way for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and negotiations with the United States on other issues.

The Iranian foreign minister warned that the possibility of war has not been completely eliminated and his country is prepared for any situation. He said that Iran wants an end to the war on all fronts in the region, including Lebanon.