Iran and the United States remain far from an agreement to end their war, despite intensified diplomatic efforts to narrow differences and prevent a return to active fighting after the US midterm elections.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that negotiations remained difficult, with Tehran insisting that its conditions must be met before it considers reopening the Strait of Hormuz or beginning nuclear negotiations with Washington.
The diplomatic efforts are unfolding alongside renewed military confrontations. The United States carried out what it described as “defensive” strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island overnight, with a US official saying the targets were surface-to-air missile systems used against American assets. Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had shot down a US MQ-9 drone over the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest developments underline the gap between diplomatic engagement and military activity, with both sides continuing to exchange threats while intermediaries attempt to keep negotiations alive.
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Hormuz remains central to negotiations
Diplomatic efforts intensified after Qatari mediators travelled to Tehran on Monday night to discuss a version of the draft US-Iran agreement that has been under negotiation for eight days.
According to the senior Iranian official, mediators are working to narrow differences between the two governments. However, Tehran remains unwilling to make concessions without receiving assurances on its core demands.
The official warned that Iran’s conditions must be met before the Strait of Hormuz can be reopened. Nuclear negotiations, the official added, could only begin afterwards, while Tehran would not accept what it considers excessive American demands.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also indicated that responsibility for moving the negotiations forward now rested with Washington. He said Tehran had delivered a strong and rational response to the US position.
At the same time, Iranian officials warned that further American military action would provoke a forceful response.
The senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran would retaliate against US strikes both within the region and beyond it. Qalibaf similarly warned that Iran would not submit to threats or military pressure, adding that any American miscalculation could trigger an unpredictable response that would not be limited by geographical boundaries.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, expressed uncertainty on Monday about whether he would carry out his threat to resume military strikes against Iran after Tuesday’s midterm elections. He nevertheless said he believed Tehran wanted to reach an agreement as soon as possible.
The competing statements suggest that neither side has publicly ruled out diplomacy, but the conditions for an agreement remain contested.
Regional powers attempt to prevent further escalation
Diplomatic engagement is also continuing beyond the direct US-Iran negotiations. Regional governments are attempting to prevent the conflict from spreading further and to establish arrangements that could reduce future security tensions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Tuesday that discussions with Saudi Arabia were ongoing. Tehran is seeking new regional security arrangements involving countries in the region without the participation of foreign military forces.
Last week, senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan met Iranian representatives in Tehran. The meeting marked the first high-level contact between Iran and the three countries since August.
The discussions took place against the background of the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began in late February and has since contributed to fighting spreading to Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
Riyadh said the visit was intended to establish negotiating channels aimed at preventing a return to military escalation. The initiative comes as tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement have intensified.
The Houthis have expanded their military activity towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategically important shipping route on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula from the Strait of Hormuz.
Their attacks have also targeted Saudi oil facilities and airports, including Riyadh’s international airport. The attacks have disrupted flights and oil exports and prompted Saudi air strikes against targets in Yemen.
Yemen adds another layer of regional instability
The escalation involving the Houthis is particularly significant because Yemen has remained engulfed in civil war since 2014, when the movement pushed the internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government out of the capital, Sanaa.
The latest fighting has added another dimension to the wider regional conflict, placing pressure on Saudi Arabia while increasing security risks around two major maritime chokepoints: Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.
For regional governments, preventing further escalation has therefore become a broader security priority. Disruptions around either waterway can affect international shipping and energy exports, while continued military confrontations risk drawing additional regional actors into the conflict.
Saudi Arabia’s engagement with Iran, alongside diplomatic contacts involving Turkey and Pakistan, reflects efforts to create channels for managing these tensions.
A diplomatic opening under military pressure
The immediate challenge for Washington and Tehran is whether their intermediaries can narrow differences before the current confrontation develops into another round of sustained military operations.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a central obstacle, with Iran linking its reopening to the fulfilment of its conditions and placing nuclear negotiations further down the diplomatic agenda. Washington, meanwhile, has maintained military pressure while Trump continues to signal that he believes an agreement remains possible.
Regional diplomacy may help prevent the conflict from spreading, particularly as Saudi Arabia faces growing security challenges linked to Houthi attacks and disruptions around Bab el-Mandeb.
However, the latest strikes, drone incident and retaliatory warnings demonstrate how fragile the diplomatic process remains. The negotiations are continuing, but there is still no indication that Tehran and Washington have resolved the fundamental disagreements separating them.
The coming days will test whether diplomatic efforts can produce progress or whether military pressure will once again take precedence over negotiations.
With information from Reuters.
