Iran Threatens and Negotiates, Does Not Rule Out Attack
Iran escalated its threats regarding the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, vowing to target “non-compliant” vessels, as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi continued negotiations with the U.S. side, despite President Donald Trump’s rejection of Tehran’s seven-day proposal.
Iran’s Hormuz Management Authority warned international ships of “financial and human losses” if they used what it described as “illegal routes in the strait,” referring to the southern passage established by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) off the coast of the Sultanate of Oman. It added that several Iranian cruise missiles and suicide drones had been launched in recent hours from southern regions toward commercial ships south of the Strait of Hormuz.
For his part, Iranian Army Commander Lieutenant General Amir Hatami emphasized that the war is passing through “sensitive and decisive stages” but has not yet ended, asserting that “if Iran cannot trade, and if it cannot survive, no one else will be able to trade.” Referring to Hormuz, he added, “We will not allow the country’s enemies to use this strategic logistical corridor while the Iranian people are denied access to it.”
Meanwhile, Army spokesperson Major General Mohammad Akbari stated that Iranian forces are prepared for any new American or Israeli attacks, anticipating a fresh U.S. offensive “because the situation of the United States in the region is not good at all.”
On the ground, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had seized an unmanned American Remus 600 submarine in the strait, marking the second such announcement this September.
Meanwhile, Al-Jarida learned from a source in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that communication between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, mediated by Qatar, remains ongoing despite Trump’s rejection of Tehran’s seven-day proposal. The source indicated that Araghchi had informed Iranian regime officials, based on his discussions in New York, that there is a good chance of reaching an initial understanding with Washington.
The source clarified that Chinese diplomacy, following the meeting between Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, pushed for focusing negotiations on the contentious or ambiguous provisions of the Islamabad memorandum, viewing them as a gateway to resuming the diplomatic track.
He noted that the core dispute still revolves around which side should take the initiative to make concessions; Tehran insists that Washington implement certain commitments before Iran takes any steps regarding “Hormuz,” while the Trump administration demands an immediate and unconditional halt to any obstruction of navigation in the strait, followed by negotiations for a comprehensive deal.
This comes as CBS reported that new U.S.-Iranian talks are expected to be held next week.
Araghchi said yesterday that Iran’s conditions for “opening” the Strait of Hormuz are “clear,” and that “any step toward reopening the strait is conditional upon meeting these requirements.”
He added: “Our enemies have tried all paths; they have taken every route they could, but they have achieved no result,” considering that “the only solution to the problem with Washington is a fair negotiated settlement.”
Earlier, Araghchi clarified in a statement on the sidelines of his participation in the UN General Assembly: “We have heard the U.S. President’s reaction to our proposal, and we are waiting for the mediators to convey final positions, on the basis of which we will make our decision.”
On the domestic front, Mohammad Saraj, a member of the Social Committee in the Iranian Parliament, told the website Didban Iran in a comment on Trump’s rejection of Iran’s proposal: “The Americans know that the president and the foreign minister are not the decision-makers in Iran, so they do not attach importance to these statements, and Trump did not accept their conditions.”
Saraj added: “If I get the opportunity, I will not hesitate for a moment to take revenge and exact retribution for the blood of the former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, from Israel and the United States, and I will not seek permission from Seyed Araghchi and Besharati.”
Appearing to respond to Iran’s new threats regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said yesterday that U.S. forces helped facilitate a record volume of oil shipments through the Hormuz Strait over the weekend of Saturday–Sunday, exceeding levels before the outbreak of war in February last year.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Fox News that average oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz reached about 13 million barrels per day, noting that more than 20 million barrels passed through the strait on one day last week, a level higher than before the conflict began.
While Trump insists he is in no hurry to reach an agreement with Tehran and is betting on a campaign of “economic ostracism” to force Iran to surrender to his terms, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reported that he had dispatched teams to various parts of the world to urge actions aimed at economically isolating Iran, welcoming a series of decisions targeting Iranian banks and airlines, and stating that “these efforts are bearing fruit.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to the Security Council, Mike Waltz, pointed to Iran’s dwindling foreign currency reserves and its declining ability to access U.S. dollars.
