Iran’s Araghchi floats diplomacy as Trump rejects June deal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that resuming diplomacy with the United States "isn't impossible," but conditioned progress on Washington abandoning its economic pressure campaign — a demand that appears to have no audience in the Trump administration, which the same day signaled it has walked away from the June peace framework.

Araghchi's Overture After Qatar Talks

"Putting diplomacy back on track isn't impossible. It hinges on U.S. understanding of one simple fact: pressure doesn't work," Araghchi wrote on X following meetings with Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Tehran on Thursday. "The U.S. should build trust, speak respectfully, acknowledge our rights, and uphold commitments."middleeasteye+1

The Qatari visit — Al Thani's first to Iran since the conflict began with US and Israeli strikes in late February — capped a week of intensified mediation. Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir traveled to Tehran on Monday, followed by Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi on Tuesday. Al Thani said he stressed to Iranian leaders "the importance of respecting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law."arabnews+1

Trump Rejects June Deal, Doubles Down on Pressure

The diplomatic opening from Tehran ran headlong into Washington's posture. The Wall Street Journal News Corp ↗ 0.38% reported Thursday that the Trump administration has no interest in returning to the memorandum of understanding reached with Iran in June, which established a ceasefire and a 60-day negotiating window but quickly collapsed over disagreements about the strait. Trump told reporters Friday that the US doesn't "want to speak with them," adding, "We're not looking to meet or anything."jpost+2

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday unveiled "Operation Economic Outcast," threatening secondary sanctions against any country doing business with Iran. The administration also moved Friday to revoke US financial access to branches of Egypt's Banque Misr in the UAE for doing business with Tehran, according to a US official.ibtimes+1

Strait of Hormuz Remains Central Obstacle

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said any deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz must include an end to wars in Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria, and that the US must "prove its seriousness" before trust can be rebuilt. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Tehran and Oman had reached a preliminary agreement on administering traffic and sharing revenues in the strait, though Iranian officials said details remained under negotiation.cnbc+1

Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, said American forces had cleared sea mines from the strait and facilitated transit of approximately 1,500 commercial vessels carrying 750 million barrels of crude in recent months. Yet only five ships crossed Hormuz on Tuesday according to Kpler data, compared with roughly 130 daily before the war.arabnews+1

Brent crude was trading near $89 a barrel Friday, up about 45 percent this year, while long fuel queues formed overnight in Tehran amid fears of supply shortages.military+1