Hormuz Talks Put State Power on the Bargaining Table

President Masoud Pezeshkian says his administration will seek a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, but the extent of extra negotiating powers granted by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei remains unspecified. Tehran offers diplomacy publicly; senior officials retain authority over negotiations, and the terms of any deal remain unsettled.

Hardline commentator and university professor Foad Izadi attacked Pezeshkian’s emphasis on negotiations. In a post responding to the president, Izadi cited Trump’s remarks that oil prices were falling because people believed there would be no war with Iran and that Tehran wanted an agreement quickly. Izadi accused Pezeshkian of helping Trump lower public expectations of war and manage oil prices. He warned Washington could attack again during diplomatic exchanges, whenever it chose.

Negotiations, with no guarantee

Iran wants backing from China and Russia in talks with Washington over the Strait of Hormuz. Mediators are weighing whether China could guarantee that Washington provides sanctions relief in return for Iranian nuclear concessions. Al Hadath reported on October 30 that mediators were considering a plan to pair each Iranian concession with a U.S. step to ease sanctions. Beijing’s account of its talks with an Iranian envoy on Monday gave no sign that China had accepted the guarantor role.

The proposed step-by-step arrangement matters to Tehran because President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear agreement in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. Matching concessions with sanctions relief could limit what Iran gives up before receiving an economic return. But it remains unclear what China would do if Washington restored sanctions later. The proposal offers a mechanism, not an enforcement guarantee.

Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Monday that Tehran wanted China to play a greater role in regional diplomacy. China’s foreign ministry said Wang backed Iran’s sovereignty and urged all sides to make concessions to avoid renewed fighting. The statement called for concessions, but didn't say who should make them first.

Energy routes and competing demands

Wang also met Saudi national security adviser Musaed al-Aiban that day. He stressed the need to protect energy supplies and shipping routes. China relies on oil shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, so Beijing has an interest in reopening the waterway, even if Tehran would rather keep it closed until Washington meets its demands. Each state enters the negotiations with its own interests. The route’s future lies between them.

Beijing announced plans to send its Middle East envoy, Zhai Jun, to Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia. Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq welcomed a larger Chinese role during his visit to Beijing. Qatar continues to mediate between Tehran and Washington. The diplomatic roster is growing, but the article reports no Chinese agreement to guarantee U.S. sanctions relief.

Seven conditions, unresolved leverage

Mohsen Rezaei, who heads Iran's Supreme National Security Council, spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. The council said they discussed regional developments but gave no details of an agreement on the U.S. naval blockade. Putin said in October that he wanted shipping through Hormuz to resume and sanctions on Iran eventually lifted. Russia has also offered to take custody of Iran's enriched uranium, potentially giving Moscow a role if Tehran and Washington agree on what happens to the stockpile.

On Tuesday, Rezaei said Washington must act on Iran's seven conditions before the Strait of Hormuz reopens. A senior Iranian official told Reuters the demands include oil sanctions waivers, an end to the naval blockade and the release of frozen funds. Moscow supports sanctions relief, but Putin hasn't endorsed Tehran's demand that Washington move first. Officials describe the terms. People affected by renewed fighting and blocked shipping have no place in the reported bargaining.