Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that resuming diplomacy with the United States “is not impossible.” He posted this on Friday on X after “constructive discussions” with Qatar, which is acting as a mediator in the dispute between Washington and Tehran.
“Progress depends on the US understanding one simple fact: pressure doesn’t work,” said Araghchi. He also urged Washington to rebuild trust and honour its commitments, without specifying which commitments were meant.
Diplomatic contacts and the US position
The relatively upbeat remark from the Iranian minister followed a series of diplomatic visits to Tehran and talks between Iran and Oman on the possible passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan, serving as the chief mediator in the six‑month conflict, dispatched a delegation to the Iranian capital on Monday. Later in the week, senior representatives of Oman and Qatar arrived in Tehran.
At the same time, the US continues to adopt a hard line in its public statements. Finance Minister Scott Bessent announced on Monday a new campaign to intensify economic pressure on Iran, warning of sanctions against any country that does business with the Islamic Republic.
Former President Donald Trump also made clear that he has no intention of lifting the blockade of Iranian ports — a key demand of Tehran — merely to restart negotiations. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump is likewise uninterested in reverting to the terms of the temporary peace accord reached in June, which has already expired.
Qatar attempts to resume negotiations
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani discussed, during meetings in Tehran, the creation of “appropriate conditions” for restarting talks between Iran and the US. The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported this on Thursday.
The ministry added that another priority is identifying ways to re‑open the Strait of Hormuz, a critically important corridor for global oil and gas supplies.
The strait has been effectively paralyzed since the end of February after the onset of military actions involving the US and Israel. A senior Iranian security official, Mohsen Rezaei, said Iran could restart traffic in the strait if the US fulfills a set of conditions, which he did not detail.
Agreement with Oman does not mean immediate opening of the strait
On Wednesday, Iranian military officials announced an agreement with Oman on how to share revenues from transit through the Strait of Hormuz. They stressed, however, that the pact does not by itself trigger an immediate reopening of the waterway.
Nevertheless, the volume of crude oil moving through the strait is rising as the threat to shipping from Iran diminishes.
Source: Bloomberg
