ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran could respond to the latest US proposal within days, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday, as indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington continue through mediators.
"The negotiation process continues and messages are being exchanged through intermediaries," Araghchi told a press conference, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
He added, “We presented our proposal under the title of a seven-day plan and heard the views of the Americans in return; we are currently reviewing them, and I think we will respond within a few days.”
The latest round of negotiations between the two adversaries began in late September, when an Iranian delegation attended the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
On the sidelines of the gathering, Araghchi met with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and presented an initial proposal that included lifting the US blockade on Iranian southern ports and releasing frozen Iranian funds in exchange for reopening the contentious Strait of Hormuz within seven days as talks progressed.
Before leaving New York, Araghchi said he hoped to receive a US response to the proposal by Tuesday.
However, US President Donald Trump told Rudaw on Saturday that he had rejected Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days.
Meanwhile, Qatar's foreign ministry said Tuesday that indirect talks between Washington and Tehran “are ongoing and uninterrupted.”
The diplomatic efforts come amid a relative lull in hostilities between Washington and Tehran, with the Strait of Hormuz emerging as a key sticking point in negotiations.
Iran claims control over the strategic waterway and has sought to use it as leverage in the talks, while Washington has insisted that it will lift its blockade on Iranian southern ports, imposed on January 14, only if Tehran stops attacking vessels transiting the strait.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important maritime routes for oil shipments.
