US and Iran pursue mediated talks as Hormuz dispute remains unresolved

Key points: Qatari mediators are pursuing separate contacts with Iran and the United States. A proposed reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remains tied to sanctions and blockade demands. No deal or reopening has been announced.

Qatari mediators were expected to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in New York and speak separately with the US side on Monday or Tuesday, according to an official briefed on the negotiations who spoke to Reuters on 28 September. Iranian state media also reported a planned meeting with mediators. The Associated Press, citing its own regional and US officials, reported that indirect efforts to end the fighting and restore shipping in the Strait of Hormuz were continuing.

What divides the two sides?

Iran's seven-day proposal links reopening the waterway to an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports, the release of frozen assets and relief from sanctions on Iranian oil. The plan also addresses hostilities in Lebanon and a return to nuclear negotiations. US President Donald Trump said he had rejected the proposal, but indicated further talks could take place. AP reported that US officials want nuclear issues addressed as part of a final agreement. Those accounts show diplomacy is active while the sequence of concessions remains disputed.

A source told Reuters the mediators' contacts would focus on an amended proposal. The identity of the US representative in those contacts was not clear in the report. Iran's foreign ministry said Araqchi's stay in New York had not been extended and did not comment on the mediator meeting. These details matter because a planned conversation, even if it occurs, is not evidence that either government has accepted the other's terms.

Why the strait matters

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical route for energy shipments. Disruption to shipping has wider effects on fuel costs and trade beyond the countries directly involved. AP described disagreement about when sanctions relief, maritime access and nuclear inspections would happen. Any draft would need specific commitments and public confirmation from the parties before readers can treat it as a deal.

Analysis — what to watch: The next verifiable milestone is a mutually accepted framework spelling out the order of maritime, sanctions and nuclear steps. Until then, reports of mediator meetings should be read as negotiations in progress, not a peace agreement. Research cutoff: 29 September 2026, 01:00 IST.