U.S. and Iranian Officials Hold Indirect Talks Amid Seven-Month War
U.S. and Iranian officials held separate talks with mediators on Monday to address a seven-month war, as Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated the country remains prepared for either diplomacy or continued fighting. President Donald Trump, who rejected a recent Iranian truce proposal, said he expects negotiations to resume this week.
Diplomatic Impasse Over the Strait of Hormuz
The latest round of indirect negotiations focuses on an amended version of a seven-day plan Iran submitted last week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. According to an official briefed on the discussions, the proposal includes an end to all hostilities in Iran and Lebanon, the unfreezing of billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian assets, an end to sanctions on Iranian oil, and the lifting of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports. In exchange, Tehran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for oil tankers, and resume talks on Iran’s nuclear program and President Trump’s desire to seize or eliminate its highly enriched uranium.
President Trump dismissed the offer on Saturday, asserting that Iranian leadership is under severe economic pressure. They want to make a deal, but it is not the deal that I want to make,
Trump told Axios in a phone interview on Sunday. It is what we would have maybe agreed to a year ago.
Despite the rejection, Trump indicated that U.S. negotiators would continue to engage with mediators throughout the week.
Stance of Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who has remained in New York following the United Nations General Assembly, maintained that Iran is awaiting a formal U.S. response regarding ceasefire proposals and conditions for restoring maritime traffic. Araqchi emphasized that any movement on the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met, according to comments reported by the state news agency IRNA. If the Americans claim they are seeking an agreement or a peaceful solution, we have presented that solution,
Araqchi said.
During an interview with NBC News, Araqchi stated that Tehran is fully prepared for the war to be resumed,
while adding, At the same time, we stand ready for diplomacy. It is up to President Trump to choose.
Meanwhile, IRNA reported that Iran’s delegation at the U.N. had no plans for direct negotiations with the United States, noting that Iranian positions were conveyed explicitly via a Qatari mediator. The delegation is expected to return to Tehran on Tuesday.
Economic Pressures and Military Tensions
The diplomatic maneuvering occurs against a backdrop of severe economic decline in Iran. Data from Pashizi indicates the Iranian rial has hit a historic low, with the free-market selling rate surpassing 2.4 million rials per dollar on Monday. Meanwhile, data from Iran’s Statistical Center shows annual inflation reached 61.4% in August, with food prices rising 128% from a year earlier.
Military tensions also persist. On Sunday, British police arrested five men near RAF Fairford—a U.K. base used by U.S. bombers to conduct strikes against Iranian missile sites—on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act involving three trucks. While authorities investigate potential links to Iran, President Trump praised the operation, stating, It was an amazing job.
When asked by Fox News if further U.S. military strikes against Iran were possible before the November midterm elections, Trump replied, I don't want to say that. I don't want to say that. I mean, it's possible, but I just don't want to say that.
Context of the Conflict
The war began in late February with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, resulting in thousands of deaths over seven months and global market volatility. The two sides have previously agreed to ceasefires in April and June, both of which quickly unraveled. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told CBS News that despite an atmosphere of distrust,
Iran would allow U.N. nuclear inspectors into the country as part of a potential long-term ceasefire deal. Iran’s deputy foreign minister also recently accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using his U.N. General Assembly address for justifying war and aggression.
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