Iran says US pressure must end to put diplomacy ‘back on track’

Dubai: Iran’s foreign minister has said diplomacy with the United States can be revived, but only if Washington abandons pressure and begins rebuilding trust, following “creative discussions” with Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister in Tehran.

Abbas Araghchi said putting diplomacy “back on track isn’t impossible”, arguing that any renewed negotiations would depend on the United States recognising that “pressure doesn’t work”.

“The U.S. should build trust, speak respectfully, acknowledge our rights, and uphold commitments,” Araghchi wrote on X after meeting Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister.

The remarks provide a tentative opening for diplomacy at a moment when Qatar and other regional powers are seeking to reduce tensions and restore negotiations between Tehran and Washington. 

Qatar said this week that it had continued contacts with the parties to encourage a return to U.S.-Iran talks, while stressing that a broader diplomatic settlement was needed to restore stability and normal navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. 

Sheikh Mohammed travelled to Tehran on Thursday for a series of meetings with senior Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Araghchi, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei. The discussions centred on de-escalation and creating conditions for dialogue. 

One of the most concrete subjects was a proposed interim framework for the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said Sheikh Mohammed and Araghchi discussed establishing a temporary joint shipping corridor through the strategic waterway, along with a joint project to clear mines from the strait. 

Sheikh Mohammed stressed the need to respect the sovereignty of neighbouring states and freedom of navigation, while calling for diplomatic efforts to continue. Araghchi, according to the Qatari ministry, expressed appreciation for Doha’s attempts to reduce tensions and support dialogue. 

The Qatari leader carried the same message into his meeting with Ghalibaf, saying the diplomatic process needed to resume and describing dialogue as the best means of addressing disputes and preventing further escalation. 

The diplomatic push comes as Washington and Tehran remain publicly divided over how negotiations could restart. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States was not currently holding talks with Iran and that his administration remained focused on economic pressure, underscoring the gap between Washington’s approach and Tehran’s demand for a change in strategy.