TEHRAN, Iran, October 31 (ANI) — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday welcomed the prospect of peace talks with the United States after receiving a letter from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, while noting that Iran has not ruled out the possibility of an “outbreak of war.”
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi said, “The American side’s attempt to open the door to dialogue and understanding more broadly is a positive step.”
However, he added, “If Washington’s goal in sending this letter is to stir up discord, it would be yet another mistake to add to its previous ones.”
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Vance had sent the letter to Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei on the instructions of U.S. President Donald Trump, seeking to restart negotiations and prevent further U.S. military strikes.
With the possibility of fresh strikes looming over Iran, Araghchi said, “We do not rule out any possibility regarding the outbreak of war, and we are prepared for all scenarios. We have upgraded our weaponry, addressed our vulnerabilities, and tested new arms; our forces are at the highest level of readiness.”
An American delegation is expected to join Iranian officials for talks in Doha. Araghchi said Qatar had proposed reducing the implementation period for Iran’s plan to reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz from five days to two.
Araghchi told Al Jazeera, “The Qatari side proposed shortening the implementation period of the Iranian proposal to five days. We have reached a proposal at this stage that reduces the implementation period to two days.”
“Our conditions include lifting the sanctions imposed following the Islamabad memorandum and reducing U.S. forces in the region. We demand the restoration of oil waivers and the release of all our frozen funds, including those held in Qatar. Reopening the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with our conditions paves the way for the resumption of negotiations with Washington regarding outstanding issues,” he added.
An American delegation is likely to join Iranian officials for direct talks in Doha following a reported breakthrough in indirect negotiations, The Times of Israel reported, citing the Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
According to the report, which cited sources close to mediation efforts, the two sides have reached an understanding on preliminary measures concerning Iran’s nuclear program, navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and financial incentives for Tehran. China and Russia are also reportedly expected to serve as guarantors of any agreement.
However, Iran’s armed forces chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, said Iran would respond to any attack with “immense force,” according to Al Jazeera.
The Iranian military chief’s remarks echoed an order from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to confront all threats with “an immediate, effective, and unrestricted geographical response.”
According to a series of posts on X from Mojtaba Khamenei’s account, the Iranian leader met with senior military commanders amid the possibility of renewed escalation between the United States and Iran.
“Every level and type of threat must be confronted with an immediate, effective, and unrestricted geographical response,” the statement read.
In a strongly worded statement, Khamenei instructed the armed forces to retaliate if military attacks resumed.
“If the enemies resume military or terrorist attacks, it is the armed forces of the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran who will determine the time and conditions for ending them,” he said.
Earlier, Trump said Washington was in no hurry to end its war with Iran, characterizing the ongoing hostilities as “not a typical war.” He maintained that time favored the United States despite months of fighting and repeated diplomatic efforts that had failed to produce a lasting settlement. (ANI)
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