Pezeshkian: Khamenei Granted Government Negotiating Powers with the United States

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei granted the government some powers to negotiate with the United States, while emphasizing at the same time that Iran's enemies will not be able to subdue it through war.

The official Iranian News Agency "IRNA" quoted Pezeshkian as saying: "We seek to solve the problem through dialogue. In this regard, the Supreme Leader has granted the government some powers," without clarifying their nature or scope.

His remarks come as mediation efforts continue to end the war and avoid a new round of escalation, amid disagreements over conditions for resuming negotiations and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

On the diplomatic track, Reuters reported that message exchanges between Tehran and Washington via intermediaries are continuing, after talks involving Qatar ended without a breakthrough.

The Iranian proposal put forward in September remains the basis for discussions, including lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports and easing restrictions on oil, in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, followed by subsequent talks.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed on Sunday that consultations with Qatari mediators regarding the plan to reopen the strait within two days had not reached a final conclusion, according to IRNA.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei announced on Monday the possibility of implementing the plan within two days, instead of the previous one-week schedule, provided Washington meets Tehran's demands.

These demands include ending the war in the Middle East on all fronts, releasing frozen Iranian assets, lifting sanctions on the oil sector, and ending the US naval blockade.

Tehran insists that moving to nuclear negotiations requires first verifying the implementation of its demands, and rejects transferring its stockpile of highly enriched uranium abroad, according to Reuters.

In parallel with diplomatic contacts, Baghaei warned that any military attack on Iran would be met with a "strong, immediate, and comprehensive" response, amid US and Israeli threats to launch new attacks.