Araghchi says Iran is giving diplomacy a chance while armed forces stay prepared

ISTANBUL — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Tehran is in contact with intermediaries over its seven-day plan with the United States. He said Iran is giving diplomacy a chance while its armed forces remain prepared.

Araghchi made the remarks in a post on X, according to Anadolu Agency, which reported the statement on 28 October 2026. A post on the Al Arabiya Telegram channel, which could not be independently verified, carried a headline saying Araghchi had renewed the seven-day plan and that Iran was giving diplomacy a chance.

What Araghchi said

"While our Brave Armed Forces are fully prepared to defend the Homeland, Iran continues to give diplomacy a chance to succeed," Araghchi wrote, as quoted by Anadolu.

He added: "We remain in close and ongoing contact with intermediaries to review ideas that can ensure implementation of our 7-Day Plan in even less than a week."

The post did not name the intermediaries. It did not say what ideas are under review or whether the US had responded to any new proposal. Anadolu said the remarks came as diplomatic efforts continue to maintain a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US after months of military confrontation.

The seven-day plan

According to Anadolu, Iran presented the plan to Washington through Qatari mediators in September. It proposes that the Strait of Hormuz be reopened and that negotiations with the US resume within a week, provided Washington meets Tehran's conditions.

Anadolu described the sequence as follows. During the first five days, the US would take agreed steps. These include ending hostilities, lifting its naval blockade on Iranian ports, easing restrictions on Iranian oil exports and releasing frozen Iranian assets.

On the sixth day, Iran would reopen the strait to normal commercial shipping. On the seventh day, talks between Tehran and Washington toward a comprehensive agreement would resume.

Araghchi's reference to implementing the plan "in even less than a week" suggests Tehran is open to a shorter timetable than the one outlined. The sources do not say whether any shortened schedule has been put to the US or to the mediators.

Earlier exchanges

Anadolu reported that on 8 October Araghchi said Tehran was reviewing Washington's response to the proposal. He said at the time that messages were still being passed through mediators. The sources do not give the content of the US response.

The reports do not include a comment from the US government on Araghchi's latest post. Nor do they include statements from Qatar, Oman or Pakistan about the current state of contacts.

What is unconfirmed

The material available contains no independent confirmation of the state of talks beyond Araghchi's own account. It does not indicate whether the US has accepted, rejected or amended any element of the plan. It also does not give details of the "ideas" that Araghchi said are being reviewed.

The Telegram post from Al Arabiya is a social media item and is treated here only as a report of what the channel said. It adds no detail beyond the headline and a short summary that match the Anadolu account.

Background

Anadolu reported that Iran and the US signed the Islamabad Memorandum on 18 June after negotiations mediated by Pakistan and Oman. The agreement addressed several disputed issues, according to the agency. These included maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief and the withdrawal of US naval restrictions.

Anadolu said the ceasefire between the two countries followed months of military confrontation. It described the truce as fragile. The agency said Oman, Pakistan and Qatar have kept up diplomatic contacts aimed at resolving differences between Tehran and Washington.

The measures in the seven-day plan overlap with subjects covered in the Islamabad Memorandum, including the naval restrictions and the status of the strait. Anadolu did not say how the plan relates to the memorandum's implementation, or whether the US considers the memorandum's terms to have been met.

The Strait of Hormuz and the US naval blockade on Iranian ports feature in both the plan and the earlier agreement, according to Anadolu's description. In the plan, Iran ties the reopening of the strait to prior US steps. Those steps include lifting the blockade, easing oil export restrictions and releasing frozen assets.

Araghchi's statement pairs the offer of diplomacy with a reference to military readiness. Anadolu presented the post as Iran's declaration that it continues to pursue diplomacy while its armed forces are prepared to defend the country. No military movements or specific security incidents were mentioned in the sources.

Further statements from Tehran, Washington or the mediating governments would be needed to establish whether the exchange of proposals is moving toward implementation of the plan.