Iran Says No Breakthroughs in 'Very Intensive' Peace Talks with Qatar

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that talks with mediators from Qatar over the weekend produced no major breakthroughs, but the diplomatic process is still ongoing.

“Consultations through mediators are very intensive. We have ‌presented our conditions and proposals and everything depends on the political rationality of Washington,” Araghchi said.

Qatari mediators presented Iran with a peace proposal last week, but the Iranians reportedly rejected it as “unacceptable,” apparently because it required up-front concessions on uranium enrichment from Iran. Qatari mediators worked with Iran over the weekend to design a new proposal.

Araghchi said this weekend’s talks were built around the proposal Iran created in September, which President Donald Trump rejected. The Iranian proposal demanded several up-front concessions from the United States, including an end to the U.S. blockade of Iran and the lifting of sanctions, while Iran promised only to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping – the same promise Iran made, and then broke, in June.

“The basis of dialogue ​and talks between Iran and the US via mediators is still Iran’s seven-step proposal, which is now condensed, making it possible to implement it within two days,” he said on Monday.

“If they choose honest diplomacy, we are ready to engage. If they intend to deceive us and launch military operations, they will face a response more bitter and forceful than before,” he said.

Trump said in September that the seven-step proposal was a sign of Iranian desperation, “because they’re losing so badly.” He said one reason the proposal was unacceptable was because Iran’s only offer of immediate concessions was reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which was meaningless because the U.S. had “total control” of the strait.

Vice President JD Vance reportedly sent a letter to Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s national security council, last week with an offer to restart direct talks. Vance’s offer required the same concessions on uranium enrichment that Iran rejected in the Qatari proposal.

Rezaei told Iranian state media on Monday that he has not responded to the letter yet, but he described it as a “softer” stance from a chastened Trump administration that proved “the Iranian nation has consolidated its victory and its authority.”

“Their tone has completely changed, which is a good sign,” he said.

Rezaei said Iran would not budge on reopening the Strait of Hormuz until the U.S. made all of the unilateral concessions demanded by Tehran.

“Until our conditions are implemented, the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened, and we will not enter negotiations,” he said.

On the other hand, Rezaei indicated that Iran might consider changing its position on uranium enrichment – something it previously described as a sacred and inalienable right – if it could avoid renewed hostilities with the United States.

“No new decision has been made officially or at the governance level regarding a change in the nuclear doctrine. The discussion is raised: if war starts again, do we want to continue the previous doctrine or not?” he said.

“When the nation sees the enemy attacking nuclear centers, they naturally ask why the previous process should continue,” he added.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Monday that Iranian negotiators have returned from Doha, Qatar, because their work is done.

“Our demands have been articulated very clearly and transparently. These demands are reasonable and logical: no final agreement can be initiated, nor can the Strait of Hormuz be reopened or secured, unless the U.S. naval blockade is brought to an end, Iran’s demands are respected, and Iran’s legitimate requirements are addressed,” he said.

Baghaei was adamant that Iran would not consider handing its highly-enriched uranium over to a third-party country, an idea that has been floated by U.S. negotiators.