Iran is ready to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in two days if the United States agrees to a series of demands, its Foreign Ministry said on Monday, after a week of intensified negotiations to avoid a return to war.
A Qatari delegation led by Ali Al Thawadi, a senior Qatari official, arrived in Tehran on Monday evening to meet with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to continue negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement between Iran and the United States, according to two diplomats briefed on the visit.
The trip to Tehran, the Iranian capital, comes after several rounds of negotiations between Qatari and Iranian officials in Iran and Qatar over the past week.
Iran’s demands, which include lifting the Trump administration’s sanctions on Iran and releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, appear difficult for Washington to accept.
Foreign Department spokesman Esmail Baghaei made the comments hours after President Trump told a campaign rally that he could eventually decide to give “the hammer” to Iran if the two sides fail to reach an agreement to end the war.
Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for transporting oil and gas in the Persian Gulf, after U.S. and Israeli forces attacked the country in February. The move shook energy markets and continues to shake the global economy.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode, please exit and log in to your Times account, or subscribe to the entire Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already subscribed? Log in.
Want all the Times? Subscribe.
Gn headline
