Araghchi Says Iran-US Diplomacy Can Resume If US Abandons Pressure

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said diplomacy with the United States can resume if Washington understands that pressure does not work.

In a post on X, Araghchi said he held “creative discussions” with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. He said the US should build trust, speak respectfully, recognize Iran’s rights and honor its commitments.

Meanwhile, mediators are making renewed efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore normal shipping through the key waterway.

Qatar’s prime minister visited Tehran on Thursday and met senior Iranian officials. Qatar and Pakistan helped broker a memorandum of understanding in June that led to a ceasefire and included arrangements related to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait, located between Iran and Oman, was an important route for global oil shipments before the war.

During his visit to Tehran, Al-Thani said he stressed to Iranian officials “the importance of respecting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law.”

Iran’s Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, later said Tehran was preparing a list of conditions for reopening the strait.

Rezaei said Iran had agreed with Oman on a shipping corridor through the waterway. Under the proposed arrangement, part of the route would pass through Omani waters and another part through Iranian waters.

He said ships could use a designated central channel if the United States met Iran’s conditions.

Iran’s previous demands have included an end to the US blockade on Iranian ports, compensation and the removal of sanctions. It remains unclear whether Tehran will change these demands to make them acceptable to Washington.

Iran and the US have exchanged strong statements in recent weeks, while regional countries have taken a larger role in efforts to revive diplomacy.

Tehran has continued to call for a return to the June memorandum of understanding, which established a ceasefire and provided a 60-day period for negotiations. However, the agreement later broke down over disagreements about shipping arrangements.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that Iran and Oman had agreed in principle on managing traffic through the strait and sharing revenues. However, a senior Iranian source later said the two countries were still working on the details.

Meanwhile, US military commanders say American forces have cleared sea mines from the Strait of Hormuz that were allegedly placed months ago by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“Bottom line: today, international shipping lanes are open and momentum is building,” Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the US military’s Central Command, said in a video message posted on social media.

Cooper said US forces had helped around 1,500 commercial vessels carrying nearly 750 million barrels of crude oil pass through the strait in recent months.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said the strait is open. However, many vessels have avoided the route because of Iranian threats. Shipping tracking services estimate that traffic remains at only around 5% to 15% of normal levels.

The UN’s International Maritime Organization has reported 70 incidents in the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war, resulting in the deaths of 19 seafarers.