Araghchi says US must honor commitments before further talks

• He says talks mediated by Pakistan, Qatar and other countries are continuing, despite unresolved disagreements over the terms of a proposed seven-day plan.
• Araghchi says the plan envisaged the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz on its sixth day, while Washington sought to add further provisions to the arrangement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that the United States must fulfill its commitments under a previously signed Islamabad memorandum of understanding before Tehran will enter into further negotiations, underscoring the gap between the two sides as diplomatic efforts continue over a proposed arrangement that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

In an interview with the Iraqi News Network, Araghchi said Iran had made compliance with the existing commitments a prerequisite for discussing additional issues, while leaving open the possibility of addressing outstanding disputes in a final stage of negotiations.

“What we want from the Americans is adherence to all the commitments contained in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding that was previously signed,” he said, according to Iranian media.

“After they adhere to these commitments, we can enter into negotiations on other cases,” Araghchi added.

He said negotiations between Tehran and Washington were continuing through intermediary countries, including Pakistan and Qatar, suggesting that diplomatic channels remained active despite the unresolved terms of a potential agreement.

Araghchi also outlined details of an Iranian proposal known as the “Seven-Day Plan,” which he said had previously been presented to the United States with Iran’s conditions clearly specified.

Under the proposal, the Strait of Hormuz was supposed to be fully reopened on the sixth day of the period, Araghchi said. He added that Washington had informed Tehran it accepted the conditions but sought to introduce several additional clauses.

According to the Iranian foreign minister, those proposed additions concerned issues that had already been addressed in earlier rounds of negotiations.

Araghchi said a final stage of talks could provide an opportunity for either side to raise remaining issues and work toward a comprehensive agreement, but he gave no indication that the two governments had resolved their differences over the proposed plan.

The Strait of Hormuz at the center of diplomacy

The dispute carries implications beyond the negotiations themselves. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, is one of the world's most strategically important energy corridors, carrying a substantial share of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

Any disruption to traffic through the strait can affect energy markets, shipping costs and the security calculations of countries that depend on Gulf exports. Its reopening has therefore become a central issue in efforts to reduce tensions between Iran and the United States.

Araghchi's account suggests that the proposed seven-day arrangement was intended to link progress on the waterway to a broader set of commitments. However, his interview did not specify the additional clauses sought by Washington, nor did it establish whether the two sides had agreed on a revised timetable.

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