Former Iranian diplomat Hadi Afkashi stated that Tehran is awaiting a mediator to convey the US response to its "reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within seven days" proposal, rather than focusing on publicly released statements from Washington.
Afkashi indicated that Iran's expectations are not dependent on statements from Trump or Rubio. He stated, "There is a mediator," describing this intermediary as a "reference point for the Iranian delegation's decisions, positions, responses, and actions" in New York. He said, "Public statements may convey one message, but behind the scenes, there is still intensive mediation effort between the two sides to try to continue narrowing their differences."
He added that the current goal is to ensure that negotiations "do not break down, but are postponed to continue at some point in the future." Afkashi suggested that the negotiations might be moved from New York to the capitals of Arab or European countries, which is "at least the direction Tehran hopes to see." He emphasized that Iran remains committed to its own position and demands.
