Iran’s diplomats said on November 1 that Qatar-mediated talks are going smoothly but no final conclusion has been reached, and that everything depends on how the United States answers Tehran’s questions. At the same time, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Iran has not yet replied to a letter from the US, leaving the timetable open.
According to South Korea’s Kyunghyang Shinmun on November 1, a senior Iranian diplomatic delegation travelled to mediator Qatar to continue peace talks with the United States. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the trip as deputy-minister level, aimed at continuing consultations with the Qatari mediators who recently visited Tehran. He said there was no plan to negotiate directly with the US during the visit.
광고 문의 · 300×250Speaking to reporters after a meeting of parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, Araghchi said talks on a so-called “two-day proposal” were moving smoothly but had not reached a final conclusion, as relayed by Iran’s state news agency IRNA. He stressed that whether a final deal is reached depends entirely on how the US answers the questions Iran has raised.
The remarks differ in character from the past two days’ stories, such as the Halloween Air Force One controversy and the tanker fire in the Strait of Hormuz. With the war in its eighth month, they signal that a diplomatic channel is actually functioning behind reports of military tension. But “progress” does not mean a deal is imminent.
“The letter contains no specific proposal”
Citing China Central Television, Huanqiu.com reported that the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said on October 31 (local time) that he had read a letter reportedly sent by US Vice President JD Vance but had not replied. The report says he called the letter’s tone completely changed, a “good sign”, but said it contained no concrete proposals, so he would not comment for now.
Read together, the two statements show Iran’s stance: the foreign ministry says discussions have advanced, while the security establishment notes that the document lacks substance. The letter’s specific contents and the timing of Iran’s reply were not disclosed in the reports we checked. That remains unconfirmed.
Between diplomacy and military options
Araghchi urged Washington to choose diplomacy over military options while signalling that Iran is preparing a military response too. He cited the Supreme Leader’s instructions to senior commanders and claimed Iran’s armed forces are stronger after two previous wars. This is Iran’s own claim and has not been independently verified.
Third parties see it differently. Qatar, as a go-between, wants to speed things up, while energy-importing countries in Europe and Asia worry that prolonged instability around Hormuz will add to price pressures. A common analysis holds that Israel and some Gulf states fear a deal could entrench Iran’s regional influence; we could not confirm their official reactions on November 1.
The ball is now in Washington’s court. What answer the US gives to Iran’s questions, and whether the Trump administration needs a negotiating win ahead of the November 3 midterms, are the next variables. We will report further once an official US reply emerges.
