US signals progress in talks with Iran to avert renewed war
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US → signal → war
US President Donald Trump on Nov 2 signalled progress in talks with Iran to avoid a return to war, as Tehran said “intensive” exchanges were under way while offering to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under strict conditions.
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exchanges → signal → conditions
A deal with Tehran “could happen”, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, a day before crucial US midterm elections.
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Trump → happen → elections
He added that “Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible”.
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Iran → add → settlement
Vice-President J.D. Vance separately said that both he and Trump were optimistic about securing an agreement.
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he → say → agreement
We’ve certainly made some progress.
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We → make → progress
We’ll see if we can make some more,” Vance told reporters on Nov 2.
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Vance → see → Nov
Oil prices, sent rocketing by Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz energy corridor, plunged by more than 7% on Nov 2 on optimism over a possible end to the eight-month-old conflict.
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prices → send → conflict
Trump also pointed to tumbling oil prices on his social media post.
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Trump → point → post
The renewed diplomatic signals come ahead of the Nov 3 midterms, in which Trump’s Republican Party is pushing to retain control of Congress despite voter dissatisfaction over the war and higher fuel prices.
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Party → renew → war
Democrats expect to win at least partial control of Congress and impose political constraints on Trump for the first time in two years.
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Democrats → expect → years
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Nov 2 that indirect talks with Washington were taking place via mediators.
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talks → say → mediators
“Given the sensitivity and gravity of the current situation, consultations and deliberations are very intensive,” Araghchi said in a video interview with the official IRNA news agency.
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Araghchi → give → agency
“Qatar and Pakistan are playing a very active mediating role in these negotiations.”
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Qatar → play → negotiations
China also urged a return to negotiations, while Iran’s security chief discussed the conflict with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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chief → urge → Putin
Earlier, the Axios news outlet reported that Vance had sent a letter to Iranian national security chief Mohsen Rezaei about possible new talks, marking the highest-level move in months.
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Vance → report → months
Iran’s First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref said the messages received from the US were “an acknowledgement of our victory”.
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messages → say → victory
But Trump had previously kept up his threats against Iran, telling a campaign rally that at “some point we’re going to have to give them the hammer”.
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we → keep → hammer
A senior Iranian official said Tehran was ready to open Strait of Hormuz, an export conduit for the energy-rich Gulf, within two days – as long as Washington agrees to its list of demands.
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Washington → say → demands
In September, Iran proposed a seven-day plan to reopen the strait if the US agreed to demands including ending the war on all fronts, unfreezing Iranian assets, lifting oil sanctions and ending its counter-blockade of Iranian ports.
“The possibility of implementing this plan in two days is another indication of Iran’s good-faith approach,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters at a briefing.
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Baqaei → propose → briefing
Chinese President Xi Jinping also discussed the war with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq in Beijing on Nov 2 – the first visit to China by the Gulf nation’s head of state since diplomatic ties were established.
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ties → discuss → state
“The two sides called for resolving disputes through political and diplomatic means, urging the United States and Iran to pursue a peaceful path, achieve a ceasefire (and) prevent war entirely,” an Omani statement said.
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statement → call → war
China held meetings with Iranian and Saudi officials in Beijing on Nov 2 as well.
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China → hold → Nov
Beijing supports Tehran in “safeguarding its own sovereignty and security”, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Ali Bagheri, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, according to a Chinese statement.
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Yi → support → statement
Bagheri told Wang that “Tehran’s stance on defending its national security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity remains unchanged, and that Iran will make no compromises in this regard”, state TV reported.
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TV → tell → regard
In an interview with Al Jazeera released on Nov 1, Araghchi said Washington must accept a new route agreed between Iran and Oman for transiting the strait.
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Washington → release → strait
He said the US must also remove sanctions imposed recently and reduce American troop numbers in the region.
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US → say → region
On Oct 30, Trump said he still had to “take care” of one or two targets, including Pickaxe mountain in central Iran, a suspected nuclear site which Tehran denies is such a facility.
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Tehran → say → Iran
Baqaei warned that any act of aggression against Iran “will be met with a powerful, immediate and comprehensive response”.
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act → warn → response
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