US signals progress in Iran talks to avert flare-up
Washington—US President Donald Trump signaled progress on Monday in talks with Iran to avoid a return to war, as Tehran reported “intensive” exchanges while offering to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under strict conditions.
The fresh diplomatic signals came ahead of US midterm elections on Tuesday, in which Trump’s Republican Party is pushing to retain control of Congress, faced with voter dissatisfaction over the conflict and the soaring fuel prices it has triggered.
A deal with Tehran “could happen,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible.”
But hours later, Washington’s diplomatic overtures were dashed by a report that the United States had attacked Iran, in what the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said was the latest in a string of limited strikes it secretly carried out against the Islamic republic in recent weeks.
Strike on Qeshm island
Iranian state media reported five explosions in rapid succession on Qeshm island in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Central Command did not immediately respond to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) request for comment.
Earlier, oil prices plunged by more than 7 percent on Monday on optimism over a possible end to the eight-month-old conflict.
The WSJ report came shortly before polls opened in the midterms, in which Democrats expect to win at least partial control of Congress and impose political constraints on Trump for the first time in two years.
Reopen the strait
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that indirect talks with Washington were taking place via mediators.
“Given the sensitivity and gravity of the current situation, consultations and deliberations are very intensive,” Araghchi told state media.
“Qatar and Pakistan are playing a very active mediating role in these negotiations.”
Vice President JD Vance said both he and Trump were optimistic about securing an agreement.
“We’ve certainly made some progress. We’ll see if we can make some more,” Vance told reporters on Monday.
China also urged a return to diplomacy, while Iran’s security chief discussed the conflict with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Earlier, the Axios news outlet reported that Vance had sent a letter to Iranian national security chief Mohsen Rezaei about possible new talks, marking the highest-level move in months.
Iran’s first Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said the messages received from Washington were “an acknowledgment of our victory.”
A senior Iranian official said that Tehran was ready to open the Hormuz strait, an export conduit for the energy-rich Gulf, within two days—as long as Washington agreed to its list of demands.
