Iran's foreign minister said on Sunday that negotiations with the United States, conducted through Qatari mediation, have made headway but have not yet produced a final agreement, according to 연합뉴스. Abbas Araghchi told reporters the outcome now depends on how Washington answers Iran's questions, and he urged the American side to choose diplomacy over a military path.
Araghchi spoke after a meeting of parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, Iranian state media including IRNA reported. He described the latest diplomatic activity as a continuation of talks with Qatari mediators who had traveled to Tehran in recent weeks.
Why it matters
The remarks offer a public signal that a diplomatic channel between Tehran and Washington is active, even as both sides continue to trade warnings. Any agreement would affect a region that has spent months bracing for the possibility of wider conflict, and the outcome is being watched closely by Gulf states positioned between the two sides.
Araghchi framed the current stage as one in which Iran has done its part and the decision now sits with the United States. He said Tehran hopes Washington will show the reasonableness to put diplomacy ahead of what he described as other methods, meaning a military approach, 연합뉴스 reported.
Details of the talks
According to the foreign minister, the delegation's visit to Qatar was carried out at the deputy foreign minister level and was intended to keep the consultation with Qatari intermediaries going. He said discussions with the mediating countries over what he called a "two-day proposal" are proceeding smoothly, but that no definitive conclusion has been reached.
Whether a final result emerges, he said, depends entirely on the answer the other side gives to Iran's questions. He did not describe the contents of the proposal or the specific questions posed to Washington.
Araghchi also referred to instructions issued by Iran's supreme leader to senior military commanders, saying they demonstrate the Islamic Republic's firm resolve. He said Iran's armed forces have clear assignments and have become considerably stronger than before, citing the country's experience in two earlier wars. He did not elaborate on the nature of the orders or on what military response might involve.
The comments sit alongside a broader exchange of signals in the region. 연합뉴스's summary of related coverage noted reports of remarks by US President Donald Trump about Iran's military capabilities and about the Fordow site, as well as a statement from the United Arab Emirates expressing hope for a breakthrough in US-Iran negotiations while preparing for worst-case scenarios. Those items were reported by other outlets and are not detailed here beyond their inclusion in the source material.
A diplomatic track under pressure
The Iranian foreign minister's account places the initiative with Washington while simultaneously emphasizing military readiness, a pairing that has recurred in Tehran's public statements during the standoff. By confirming that deputy-level talks took place in Qatar and that a specific proposal is under discussion, Araghchi gave the clearest public description yet of an active mediation process, while declining to characterize how close the sides are to closing it.
His emphasis that the delegation's trip was a continuation of earlier consultations with Qatari officials in Tehran suggests the mediation has been running for some weeks rather than beginning with the Doha visit. Qatar has served as a channel between the two governments before, and its role here appears to be that of passing proposals and questions between parties that are not negotiating directly.
What remains unclear from his remarks is the substance of the "two-day proposal," the timeline under which Washington is expected to respond, and whether the mediation involves any additional parties. Araghchi did not address those points in the account carried by Iranian state media and relayed by 연합뉴스.
The next signal to watch is Washington's reply to the questions Iran says it has posed, which Araghchi identified as the deciding factor for whether the mediation produces an agreement or collapses.
