The Independent World
· collected 2026-08-28 · by Suha Kidwai and Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said that resuming diplomatic negotiations with Washington remains possible, but only if the US abandons its aggressive pressure strategy.
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US → say → strategy
Speaking after high-level meetings in Tehran with Qatari prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Araghchi has emphasised that restoring dialogue "is not an impossible mission".
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restoring → speak → dialogue
In a post on X, the official said that progress "hinges on US understanding of one simple fact: pressure doesn't work," urging Washington to show respect, honour existing commitments, and recognise Iranian rights.
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pressure → say → rights
The past week has seen Trump launch what has been termed an “economic D-day” against Iran, where Washington rolled out Operation Economic Outcast on Monday — an aggressive wave of secondary sanctions designed to sever Tehran's access to global markets.
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Washington → see → markets
The diplomatic outreach comes as Qatar — a key US ally hosting major American military assets — continues mediating proposals to establish a temporary civilian navigation corridor and joint mine-clearing framework through the contested Strait of Hormuz.
US will 'crush' Iranian economy, says Bessent
America’s treasury secretary has said that his sanctions against Iran are set to inflict major damage on Tehran’s economy.
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sanctions → come → economy
In a post on X, Scott Bessent said: “The Blockade and Operation Economic Outcast will crush the failing Iranian economy.
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Blockade → say → economy
The USA has guided 130 millions barrels out over the past 14 days.
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USA → guide → days
Iran’s exports cannot be verified, with dark-fleet operations and ship-to-ship transfers allowing the state to bypass sanctions.
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state → verify → sanctions
China continues to import Iranian crude
Chinese refiners are continuing to purchase Iranian crude oil, frustrating Washington’s push to choke off Tehran’s energy revenues through strict secondary sanctions.
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refiners → continue → sanctions
Beijing’s choice to reject American sanctions has been shared by Iranian state broadcaster, Press TV, where reports on Friday say that trade between both states has continued.
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trade → reject → states
Chinese buyers rely on non-dollar transactions and covert ship-to-ship transfers to keep shipments moving despite US naval enforcement.
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buyers → rely → enforcement
Beijing has maintained that its commercial ties with Iran remain legitimate under international law, keeping a critical financial pipeline open for Tehran.
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ties → maintain → Tehran
Iran restores 40% of South Pars gas production, state media reports
Iran has revived approximately 40 per cent of its damaged gas production capacity at the South Pars natural gas field following repeated U.S. and Israeli military strikes, deputy oil minister Ahmad Zeraatkar has announced.
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Zeraatkar → restore → strikes
He said: "About 40 per cent of the damaged capacity has now returned to service, and production in this part has resumed."
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production → say → part
The minister confirmed that debris removal across the facility has now concluded and that local engineers are ahead of schedule in efforts to stabilise domestic energy supplies ahead of winter.
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engineers → confirm → winter
However, Zeraatkar stressed that full reconstruction of the giant gas complex will take at least two years due to extensive damage, relying entirely on domestic engineering, and domestic financing packages.
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reconstruction → stress → engineering
UAE influenced Trump's threats to bomb Oman, Iranian media reports
President Donald Trump’s threats to target Oman stemmed from direct coordination with UAE’s bin Zayed, who sought to undermine Omani influence over the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media has reported.
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media → influence → Hormuz
According to Nournews, an state-linked outlet, bin Zayed urged Washington to push back against Muscat during a phone call earlier in the week, blaming Omani "greed" for complicating maritime negotiations with Tehran.
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Zayed → accord → Tehran
The report highlights growing friction between Abu Dhabi and neighbouring Gulf states over mediation roles and maritime control in the Persian Gulf.
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report → highlight → Gulf
Tehran official says Iran will send Netanyahu ‘to hell'
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Iran → say → hell
Iran’s secretary of the supreme national security souncil (SNSC) has said that Iran will send Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu “to hell” and prove that his “great mistakes.”
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Iran → say → hell
In an interview with Lebanon’s Al-Manar programme, major general Mohsen Rezaei condemned Israel’s continued strikes in Lebanon.
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Rezaei → condemn → Lebanon
He called for the United States to end its intervention across West Asia, especially in Lebanon and Gaza, and emphasised that Israeli attacks on Damascus must stop.
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attacks → call → Damascus
“West Asia is like a chain,” he said.
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he → say → chain
Iranian minister says Tehran has changed ‘power equations’ in Gulf
Iranian acting defence minister Majid Ibn al-Reza has said that Tehran has "changed the regional power equations" and demonstrated that the era of “hit-and-run” attacks on the country was over, Al Jazeera reported.
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Jazeera → say → country
Ibn al-Reza reportedly said a “ridiculous media show does not change the reality on the ground and the victorious side”.
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show → say → ground
Iran says diplomacy can get back on track if US recognises pressure does not work
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said putting diplomacy back on track was not impossible but hinged on the US understanding that pressure does not work.
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pressure → say → understanding
In a post on X, Araqchi said he had held what he described as "creative discussions" with Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, adding that Washington should build trust, speak respectfully, acknowledge Iran’s rights and uphold its commitments.
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Washington → say → commitments
Iran's disfigured supreme leader remains invisible six months into war
Six months after the airstrikes that began the war and propelled a badly wounded Mojtaba Khamenei into the role of Iran's supreme leader, he remains entirely unseen and unheard by Iranians.
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he → remain → Iranians
Questions over his condition and role are growing increasingly fraught, with Iran facing critical decisions over a war that has set the Middle East aflame while trashing the country's already fragile economy.
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that → grow → economy
Iranian officials and other senior sources in the country say Khamenei remains in control, ruling from the shadows for security reasons as he recovers from disfiguring wounds while delegating broad daily authority to a coterie of top figures.
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he → say → figures
But with no photograph, video or audio message released since his appointment a week into the war, Iranians are ever more sceptical about his position in an Islamic Republic in which the leader's voice is meant to be absolute.
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voice → release → which
"The question is no longer whether Mojtaba is alive, but whether Iran still has a functioning supreme leader," said Alex Vatanka of the Middle East Institute in Washington.
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Vatanka → have → Washington
Six months on, the Iran war has changed the Middle East
It's been six months since the US and Israel attacked Iran with the perennial goal of transforming the Middle East through military force.
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US → change → force
The region has changed, but not in the way they had hoped.
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they → change → way
The Islamic Republic survived the assassination of its top leaders and weeks of heavy bombing, and found a potent form of leverage in the Strait of Hormuz.
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Republic → survive → Hormuz
Gulf Arab nations saw worrying gaps open up in the American security umbrella they have relied on for decades — and some are looking at alternatives.
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some → see → alternatives
Iranian official threatens US economic interests
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei has warned that Tehran would retaliate against US economic interests if the US continued with the blockade of Iranian ports.
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US → threaten → ports
“If the blockade continues, we will target US economic interests 100 percent, with intensity and force,” Rezaei told Lebanon’s Al-Manar television.
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Rezaei → continue → television
He claimed that Iran had “broken the maritime blockade” during the ceasefire and exported almost 80 million barrels of oil.
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Iran → claim → oil
…and 1 more, not listed.
