Regional mediators are pressing Iran to make concessions on its nuclear programme in an effort to revive ceasefire negotiations with the United States, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The diplomatic push follows US President Donald Trump’s rejection of an Iranian proposal for a seven-day ceasefire, which would have involved reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the US blockade of Iranian ports.
Mediators reportedly view the latest initiative as a difficult attempt to break the diplomatic deadlock by securing movement from Tehran on the nuclear issue. So far, however, Iran has given little indication that it is prepared to make concessions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that Tehran remained prepared for diplomacy but was equally ready to respond if military hostilities resumed.
“We are fully prepared for the war to resume,” Araghchi told NBC News.
“We stand firm in the face of any new aggression, even if it comes to a doomsday war. But at the same time we stand ready for diplomacy. It is up to President Trump to choose,” he added.
Arab mediators said Iran had made no concessions since Trump rejected its ceasefire proposal, while Gulf officials said Tehran was demanding reciprocal steps from Washington before negotiations could progress.
Qatar is playing a central intermediary role, relaying messages between Washington and Tehran.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani acknowledged the difficulty of finding a diplomatic solution during a special UN General Assembly edition of the Qatar Economic Forum in New York.
“This conflict is very complex,” he said.
Iran is seeking a return to the memorandum of understanding reached in June, which envisaged reopening the Strait of Hormuz and eventually beginning nuclear negotiations. In return, Tehran is seeking measures including sanctions relief, the release of billions of dollars in Iranian funds frozen overseas and an end to the US blockade.
US officials, however, say Trump no longer wants to return to the June agreement. Washington has instead maintained the blockade and tightened sanctions on Iran.
Despite the continuing differences, a senior Middle Eastern official involved in the negotiations said Iran could potentially compromise on its nuclear programme, but would require explicit guarantees that Israel would not launch further attacks following any US-Iran agreement.
The competing demands leave mediators attempting to bridge significant differences over Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions, the US blockade, the Strait of Hormuz and security guarantees as efforts to revive ceasefire negotiations continue.