US and Iran could resume indirect talks via Qatari mediators Monday
- Indirect discussions between Washington and Tehran could resume as early as Monday through Qatari mediators, following seven months of war and a stalled diplomatic stalemate over the Strait...
- The anticipated diplomatic exchanges follow indirect talks held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly between American emissaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner...
- and Israeli airstrikes against Iran, approximately one-fifth of global hydrocarbon flows passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
Indirect discussions between Washington and Tehran could resume as early as Monday through Qatari mediators, following seven months of war and a stalled diplomatic stalemate over the Strait of Hormuz. United States President Donald Trump stated to Axios that he expects renewed contacts, though the two capitals remain at odds over the terms of any permanent maritime and economic agreement.
Stalled Diplomacy and Rejected Iranian Proposals
The anticipated diplomatic exchanges follow indirect talks held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly between American emissaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. President Trump rejected an Iranian proposal on Saturday that called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a return to discussions within a seven-day window. “They want to conclude a deal, but it’s not the deal that I want to conclude,” Trump told Axios, adding that the text mirrored terms Washington might have accepted a year ago. The U.S. president asserted that Iranian authorities had overestimated their position during the negotiations.
Contested Terms Over the Strait of Hormuz
Before the conflict erupted in late February through U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran, approximately one-fifth of global hydrocarbon flows passed through the Strait of Hormuz. According to U.S. Energy Information Administration figures published in August, transport volumes through the strait dropped sharply to 4.9 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 21.6 million barrels per day in the fourth quarter of 2025. Since February, Iran has asserted control over the waterway while the United States maintains a blockade on Iranian ports. Foreign Minister Araghchi stated that Tehran awaits satisfaction of its core demands before altering its stance on the passage.
“So far, nothing has been communicated to us by the mediator,”
Abbas Araghchi Araghchi affirmed that any movement toward reopening the strait depends entirely on the fulfillment of Iranian demands. These requirements originated in a June protocol intended to stabilize the conflict and launch nuclear negotiations, which encompassed an immediate cessation of hostilities, the unfreezing of Iranian assets held since 1979, and the lifting of American economic sanctions.
Broader Regional Friction Points in Bab el-Mandeb
While a relative lull has characterized the Iranian front since the last reported U.S. strike on September 1, maritime incidents persist in the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that it seized an advanced American underwater drone operating for espionage purposes. Simultaneously, regional tensions expanded southward to Yemen, where conflict involving pro-Iranian Houthi forces resumed in July. A September offensive by the movement consolidated its control over the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb, a critical chokepoint connecting the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, and the Indian Ocean. Saudi Foreign Minister Fayçal ben Farhane addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, emphasizing that the stability of the region directly impacts global energy security. He criticized the international community for failing to protect vital maritime trade routes from escalating disruptions.