Iran says it has replied to US proposal, wants focus on Strait of Hormuz
In short
Iran said on October 4 that it has responded to a US proposal, which it describes as similar to earlier rounds and centred on the nuclear issue, while Tehran wants the discussion to focus on the Strait of Hormuz. Foreign ministry spokesman Baghaei said ensuring or restoring security in the waterway requires concrete US measures, including an end to interference with Iranian commercial shipping and to sanctions. He said Iran had reviewed US concerns passed through mediator Qatar and would look into some details and send back supplementary views.
Read the full story 1 min read
Iran said on October 4 that it has replied to a US proposal, describing the proposal as similar to previous rounds and focused on the nuclear issue, and adding that Tehran wants the discussion centred on the Strait of Hormuz. The statement was reported by Chinese business outlets through the day, with Jiemian citing Reuters for the initial report that Tehran had responded. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Foreign ministry spokesman Baghaei said Iran had set out its position to mediator Qatar during a short visit there, and that the US plan was broadly consistent with earlier positions and mainly concerned Iran's nuclear issue. He said Iran has made clear that the present focus is the Strait of Hormuz issue, and that ensuring security, or restoring security, in the waterway requires concrete US measures, including stopping interference with Iranian commercial shipping, stopping sanctions and other interventionist measures. [ 5 ]
Baghaei said Iran had considered the concerns the US conveyed through Qatar, would carry out the necessary investigation into some details, and would pass its supplementary views back to the other side. He said Iran's approach has always been to seize every opportunity, even when it judges the chance slim, and to use diplomacy to prevent tension from escalating and to achieve peace, but that past experience and US practice showed the other side had not taken diplomacy seriously. [ 5 ]
Earlier in the sequence, US President Trump said on September 28 that the United States and Iran had exchanged messages through mediators, and Iran's government spokesman said on September 30 that Foreign Minister Araghchi had received the US reply to a proposal put forward by mediator Qatar, per the Jiemian report citing CCTV. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The exchange is the latest round in US-Iran contacts conducted through mediators, and the two sides appear to be emphasising different subjects: Washington on the nuclear file, Tehran on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's condition that the US stop interfering with its commercial shipping and lift sanctions places a major oil-transit waterway at the centre of the talks, though the documents give no indication of a date or format for further negotiations.
Key facts
- Iran's foreign ministry said on October 4 that Iran has replied to a US proposal. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Iran said the US proposal is similar to previous rounds and focuses on the nuclear issue. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
- Iran said its present focus is the Strait of Hormuz issue. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Foreign ministry spokesman Baghaei said restoring security in the Strait of Hormuz requires concrete US measures, including stopping interference with Iranian commercial shipping, stopping sanctions and other interventionist measures. [ 5 ]
- Baghaei said Iran had set out its position to mediator Qatar during a short visit there, reviewed the concerns the US conveyed through Qatar, and would investigate some details and send back supplementary views. [ 5 ]
- Baghaei said Iran's approach is to use diplomacy at every opportunity, even a slim one, to prevent escalation and achieve peace, but that past experience and US practice showed the other side had not taken diplomacy seriously. [ 5 ]
- Reuters, cited by Jiemian, reported that Tehran had responded to the US proposal; US President Trump said on September 28 that the two sides had exchanged messages through mediators, and Iran's government spokesman said on September 30 that Foreign Minister Araghchi had received the US reply to the Qatari mediators' proposal. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- What the US proposal contains beyond the nuclear issue, and whether Washington has answered Iran's reply. The documents describe the proposal only as similar to previous rounds and focused on the nuclear file; no US response to Iran's latest reply is reported.
- When and how Iran's reply was delivered, and what the next step in the exchanges will be. The documents give no date, channel or schedule for further contacts; Baghaei said only that Iran would investigate some details and send back supplementary views.
- Which specific US actions Iran counts as required to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Baghaei listed categories — interference with commercial shipping, sanctions and other interventionist measures — without further detail, and no other outlet reports on them.
- Iran set out its position to mediator Qatar and received US concerns through that channel. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- CLS reports the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman as saying Iran has replied to the US proposal, which resembles previous rounds and focuses on the nuclear issue while Iran wants the focus on the Strait of Hormuz. [ 1 ]
- Yicai reports that Iran says it has responded to the US proposal. [ 2 ]
- Jiemian, citing Reuters, reports that Tehran has answered the US proposal and that Iran wants attention on the Strait of Hormuz. [ 3 ]
- Yicai reports that Iran's response to the US proposal says the present focus is the Strait of Hormuz issue. [ 4 ]
- Jiemian carries further remarks by foreign ministry spokesman Baghaei on the Qatar channel, US measures on shipping and sanctions, and Iran's preference for diplomacy. [ 5 ]