Amid diplomatic efforts to avoid renewed escalation in the Middle East, US President Donald Trump spoke about the possibility of reaching an agreement with Iran, while Tehran announced the intensification of its indirect negotiations with Washington through Qatar and Pakistan, and offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if its conditions are met. Simultaneously, the Houthis announced that they had targeted Dammam Airport and a radar at Jazan Airport in Saudi Arabia, without Saudi confirmation, while the coalition led by Riyadh announced the interception of two drones.

Published on: 03/11/2026 - 03:38 Last updated: 03/11/2026 - 03:39

On Monday, there were signs of diplomatic openness between Washington and Tehran, after mutual threats over the weekend, with US President Donald Trump talking about the possibility of reaching an agreement with Iran, and the latter announcing the intensification of indirect negotiations and offering to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days on conditions. In parallel, the Yemeni Houthis announced new attacks on Saudi airports.

Trump wrote on his “Truth Social” platform, on the eve of the midterm congressional elections, that oil prices are falling sharply “because people feel that there will be no war with Iran,” adding that Tehran wants to reach a settlement as soon as possible, and that this “may happen.”

In turn, US Vice President J.D. Vance expressed his optimism that a settlement could be reached through negotiation, noting that some progress had been made in the talks.

These statements came after Trump threatened over the weekend to deliver a “crushing blow” to Iran, and said that he still had to “deal” with one or two Iranian nuclear sites.

Tehran offers to reopen Hormuz within two days, with conditions

For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi described the indirect consultations with the United States as “very intense” given the seriousness of the situation, praising the mediation of Qatar and Pakistan.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei granted the government some powers to negotiate in an effort to resolve the crisis through dialogue.

Tehran announced its readiness to reduce the time required to reopen the Strait of Hormuz from seven days to two days, if Washington agrees to its demands.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei considered this amendment evidence of Iran's "good faith," but stressed that the implementation of the plan and the resumption of negotiations depend on the American side accepting Tehran's conditions.

These conditions include a ceasefire on all fronts in the region, the release of frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on its oil sector, and an end to the US naval blockade of its ports.

Araqchi had added demands related to Washington’s acceptance of a new ship transit route agreed upon by Iran and the Sultanate of Oman, the abolition of recent sanctions, and the reduction of the American military presence in the region.

Iran has imposed restrictions on navigation in the strait since the outbreak of war following the American-Israeli attack on it on February 28, and is targeting ships that attempt to cross it without its permission, while Washington imposes a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Mutual threats and diplomatic moves

Despite signs of calm, the possibility of renewed confrontation still exists. According to the Axios website, Trump discussed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday the possibility of escalating military operations against Iran.

The website quoted two American and Israeli sources as saying that Netanyahu urged Trump to launch strikes after the midterm elections, while the American president expressed his desire to give the negotiations a chance.

On the other hand, Baghaei warned that any military attack on Iran would face a “strong, immediate and comprehensive response.”

On the diplomatic level, Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, discussed regional developments by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

China also called for a political solution, announcing its intention to send an envoy to Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia during November to enhance calm efforts.

In a joint statement issued on the occasion of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq’s visit to Beijing, China and the Sultanate of Oman stressed the need to prevent renewed war and encourage Washington and Tehran to return to the diplomatic track.

The Houthis announce the targeting of Saudi airports

In a parallel development, the Houthis announced on Monday that they had targeted Dammam Airport in eastern Saudi Arabia twice within 48 hours with two drones.

The military spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Saree, said that the attack caused the cessation of air traffic. He also announced that a warning radar at Jizan Airport was targeted by a drone, indicating that the operation was targeting a military transport plane. There was no Saudi confirmation of these statements.

The Saudi-led military coalition had previously announced the interception and destruction of two drones in the Riyadh region, without directly accusing the Houthis.

These developments come amid the escalation of confrontations in Yemen since July, and the Houthis intensifying their attacks on Saudi oil installations and airports, in exchange for raids launched by the coalition on their positions in Yemen.

France 24/ Agencies

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