Riyadh, March 24 (ANI) — Arab News, citing Israeli outlet Yedioth Ahronoth, reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is prepared to negotiate with the United States. Yedioth Ahronoth said the claim is based on a conversation between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. intermediary Steve Witkoff that was approved at the highest levels in Iran.
Earlier, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertions about talks with Tehran, saying Iran had held no negotiations with Washington during the 24 days of the unprovoked US-Israel conflict with the Islamic Republic.
The development follows President Trump’s remarks that the Strait of Hormuz — a vital shipping route — would be “open very soon” if talks with Tehran proceed successfully. Speaking to reporters in Florida, Trump suggested he envisaged the strait being managed jointly by the U.S. and Iran, saying, “It’ll be jointly controlled. Me and the Ayatollah, whoever the Ayatollah is, whoever the next Ayatollah is.”
The Strait of Hormuz normally handles about 15 million barrels per day of crude oil and 5 million barrels per day of oil products, roughly 25 percent of global seaborne oil trade. Due to the regional conflict, the waterway has been considered high-risk, choking global energy supplies.
Trump also said recent early strikes had targeted much of Iran’s senior leadership and warned of a likely regime change, adding, “And there’ll also be a very serious form of regime change. There’s automatically a regime change.” He described some interlocutors as “very reasonable, very solid,” and said those involved in talks are respected figures who might fit U.S. aims.
Earlier, Trump said he instructed the U.S. Department of War to delay any military action against Iranian power plants and energy sites for five days, citing ongoing diplomatic engagements with Tehran. In a Truth Social post, he said the United States and Iran had held “very good and productive conversations” over two days aimed at resolving regional hostilities, and that the pause was based on the “tenor and tone” of those discussions, which would continue through the week.
The conflict between the U.S.-Israel coalition and Iran has entered its fourth week, with ripple effects beyond West Asia and the Gulf as concerns grow over global energy security, supply bottlenecks, and damage to civilian, military and energy infrastructure. (ANI)
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