Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], March 24 (ANI): Arab News, citing Israeli media outlet Yedioth Ahronoth, reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is prepared to negotiate with the United States.
Yedioth Ahronoth cited a conversation between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US intermediary Steve Witkoff that was reportedly approved at the highest levels in Iran.
The development comes after Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claims of talks with Tehran, stating that no negotiations had taken place with Washington over the past 24 days of the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran.
The report follows remarks by Trump on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route, would be “open very soon” amid the conflict in West Asia. He also suggested the possibility of joint management of the waterway by the United States and Iran.
Speaking to reporters in Florida, Trump said the strait would reopen if ongoing negotiations with Tehran progress successfully.
“It’ll be jointly controlled. Me and the Ayatollah—whoever the Ayatollah is, whoever the next Ayatollah is,” the US president said.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical transit route that typically handles 15 million barrels per day of crude oil and 5 million barrels per day of petroleum products, accounting for roughly 25 percent of global seaborne oil trade.
However, due to the ongoing conflict, the waterway has been deemed high-risk for transit, constraining global energy supply.
Trump also said that recent strikes in the conflict had targeted much of Iran’s senior leadership, adding, “There’ll also be a very serious form of regime change. There’s automatically a regime change,” and noted that recent talks showed potential to reduce tensions.
Commenting on those involved in negotiations, Trump said, “We’re dealing with some people that I find to be very reasonable, very solid. The people within know who they are. They’re very respected, and maybe one of them will be exactly what we’re looking for.”
Earlier, the US president announced that he had instructed the Department of War to delay any military action against Iranian power plants and energy sites for five days, citing ongoing diplomatic engagements with Tehran amid escalating tensions in West Asia.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States and Iran had held “very good and productive conversations” over the past two days aimed at resolving hostilities in the region.
He added that the decision to pause strikes was based on the “tenor and tone” of the discussions, which he described as “in-depth, detailed, and constructive,” and said the conversations would continue through the week.
The development comes as the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran enters its fourth week, with ripple effects being felt beyond West Asia and the Gulf region, intensifying concerns over global energy security, supply disruptions, and damage to civilian, military, and energy infrastructure. (ANI)
About The Author
