Madar (International) - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the period after which his country's proposal to partly reopen the Strait of Hormuz can be enforced has been cut from seven days to two, following two days of Qatari-mediated contacts between Tehran and Washington, Al Jazeera English reported on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
The mediated talks took place in Tehran on Friday and in Qatar on Saturday. Iranian authorities have signalled that a deal remains possible provided their demands are tangibly implemented. But Araghchi also told Al Jazeera: "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."
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday the talks were going "fine" but described Iranian authorities as not "reliable". "We still have to take care of, I would say, one or two sites, but we can do that in 10 minutes," he told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida, referring to Iran's nuclear facilities. In recent weeks, he has suggested an attack could take place after the November 3 US midterm elections.
Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei told state television that transit in the strait would not return to normal unless the US lifts its naval blockade, issues oil sanctions waivers, unfreezes Iran's assets abroad, stops fighting on all regional fronts, including Lebanon, and recognises a bilateral Iran-Oman arrangement for Hormuz. He said he had yet to respond to a letter from US Vice President JD Vance, describing its "change in tone" as "positive".
Meanwhile, the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said he had met top military commanders to demand "maximum deterrence" through readiness for an immediate response "without geographical restriction" to any threat. Passive defence chief Gholamreza Jalali said authorities had identified 14 sectors most dependent on electricity that would need support if the war restarts.
Vessels refusing to coordinate with the authority Iran set up to control the strait continue to be attacked, with at least four tankers hit on Friday and Saturday. According to UK Maritime Trade Operations, a vessel carrying liquefied petroleum gas was struck by three Iranian projectiles on Saturday about 40 nautical miles (74km) south of Iran's Lavan Island.
