TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has reaffirmed Iran’s readiness to pursue diplomacy while maintaining full defensive preparedness, saying the next step depends on the United States and whether Washington chooses a rational diplomatic approach.
Speaking to ICANA, the Iranian Parliament’s news outlet, Araghchi discussed the recent visit by an Iranian delegation to Qatar and continued consultations with Qatari mediators.
He said the delegation, led by a deputy foreign minister, travelled to Doha to continue discussions with Qatari mediators, who had also visited Tehran in recent weeks.
Araghchi stressed that the visit was not intended to involve direct negotiations with the United States, adding that consultations with the mediators on a two-day proposal were still underway.
According to the Tehran Times, consultations with Qatari mediators were continuing over a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days, provided that the United States met Iran's conditions. Under the proposal, the US would take the required steps on the first day, while the waterway would reopen on the second day, allowing maritime traffic to return to its previous state.
“Discussions on the two-day proposal are continuing, and the process is moving forward, but we have not yet reached a definitive outcome,” he said, noting that progress depended on the answers the other side provided to Iran’s questions.
The foreign minister said Tehran was making every effort to advance the diplomatic process and expressed hope that Washington would also demonstrate the necessary rationality to prioritize diplomacy over other options.
Turning to Iran’s defense preparedness, Araghchi referred to directives issued by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to senior military commanders, saying they clearly demonstrated the Islamic Republic’s resolve.
He added that Iran’s Armed Forces had been assigned a clear mission and had become stronger than before by drawing on the experience gained in the two previous wars.
Araghchi reiterated that Iran remained prepared for both defense and diplomacy, emphasizing that the course of future developments would depend on the decisions and judgment of the United States.
“Whether the Americans choose diplomacy or another path depends on their own rationality,” he said.