World
US‑Iran Talks Continue Amid War‑Ready Rhetoric
Mediators in Doha and Tehran are pushing forward a two‑day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy chokepoint, and restart peace talks with the United States, according to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The plan would require Washington to lift recent sanctions, reinstate oil waivers granted in June, reduce its military presence in the region, recognize new shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz designated by Iran and Oman, and end conflict on all fronts, including Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.
Araghchi said an Iranian delegation, including one of his aides, travelled to Doha to meet Qatari mediators, while Qatari officials also visited Tehran for consultations. Pakistani mediators are also involved, with Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visiting Tehran several times as part of diplomatic efforts to end the war. The June memorandum of understanding that collapsed in August was signed by Doha and Islamabad.
Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, said the US had “indicated its readiness” to accept Iran’s conditions, although Washington has not confirmed this. On the US side, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Qatar‑led talks were ongoing but said he was not aware of a timeframe. Rubio added that “talks have actually never stopped” and that the United States would be open to a diplomatic solution.
The renewed diplomatic activity follows a letter from US Vice President JD Vance to Rezaei, which Rezaei said had “completely changed” compared with earlier correspondence from President Donald Trump. Araghchi described the letter positively, saying it was a “positive step” toward dialogue, but warned that if Washington’s goal was to stir up discord it would be a mistake.
Iranian officials have said they are open to new peace talks if the US meets their conditions, but are also ready to act more aggressively in any new military confrontation. Araghchi told Al Jazeera that Iran’s armed forces are more prepared for war than ever before and would respond immediately and without geographical limitations to any new military threat from the US or Israel. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ordered commanders to update Iran’s target list to include “all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to the American‑Zionist enemy”. Rezaei said Iran would use “new weaponry” in its response to any future attacks and that the government was weighing a change to its nuclear doctrine.
President Trump said the latest negotiations were “going fine” but added that the US still needed to “take care of” several Iranian sites, including a suspected underground nuclear complex known as Pickaxe Mountain. Trump also said the US could achieve its military objectives “very quickly” and was not in a hurry. Trump has repeatedly threatened to renew attacks that would “finish off” Iran, while the US has warned its Gulf allies to prepare for a short, high‑intensity round of conflict after the midterm elections.
Israel, which joined the US in initiating the war against Iran in February, is preparing for another round of potential conflict after the US midterm elections, according to a senior Israeli official cited by Israel’s Ynet News site. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel has a “historic, one‑time opportunity … to remove the Iranian threat once and for all”. Netanyahu’s coalition lost its parliamentary majority in recent legislative elections, but the 77‑year‑old leader remains in office as caretaker until a new government is formed.
Security analysts say Tehran is pursuing diplomacy while also redefining the military implications of another potential conflict. For now, diplomacy and military preparations are proceeding simultaneously, with the emerging Iranian position that an agreement remains possible but another war would be fought under different rules and on a much wider battlefield. Whether Washington takes these warnings as credible deterrence or further escalatory threats could significantly influence what happens next.