Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran is still consulting with Qatari mediators on a two-day proposal concerning the Strait of Hormuz, with progress dependent on responses to questions raised by Iran.
Araghchi made the remarks on November 1 on the sidelines of a meeting of Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee. He said the latest Iranian delegation to Qatar, led at deputy foreign minister level, was part of ongoing consultations with Qatari mediators who had also travelled to Tehran in recent weeks.
He clarified that the visit was not intended to arrange negotiations with the United States.
According to Araghchi, discussions on the proposal have yet to produce a final agreement. He said Iran was working to move the diplomatic process forward and hoped the other side would respond rationally and prioritise diplomacy over other options.
“Reaching an outcome depends on the answers the other side provides to our questions,” he said.
Araghchi also said Iran was prepared for a range of possible developments, citing directives from the country’s Commander-in-Chief to senior military commanders as evidence of its readiness.
He said Iran’s armed forces had clearly defined missions and had become stronger by drawing lessons from the two previous wars.
The foreign minister maintained that Tehran remained prepared for both military defence and diplomatic engagement, adding that Washington’s next course would depend on whether it chose to act rationally.