Iran, Pezeshkian: ‘Khamenei has ordered an end to this deadlock with the US’

The Supreme Leader has ordered us to put an end to the situation of ‘neither war nor peace’ with the United States. This was stated by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, relaying Ali Khamenei’s directives. “We can initiate a dialogue (with the United States) and reach a dignified resolution to the matter. We are aiming for negotiations based on justice and on an equal footing,” he added, as quoted by the IRNA news agency, emphasising: “Logic dictates that, if we can safeguard our rights through dialogue, we must avoid getting drawn into a war. However, we will never submit to force or bullying.”

The United States has proposed a phased plan to Iran for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which would begin with a partial easing of the blockade: this is according to the Emirati newspaper Erem News, citing diplomatic sources. According to the sources, the second phase would include nuclear talks, accompanied by a gradual lifting of sanctions against Iran and the release of frozen Iranian funds.

Iran has not yet responded to the US proposal and is demanding that Washington make written commitments, taking concrete steps to lift the blockade and release the funds. However, Washington regards Iran as the party that has breached the memorandum of understanding signed by the two sides in June; therefore, it would be up to Tehran to commit to opening the Strait of Hormuz before proceeding any further.

US President Donald Trump is due to meet Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, at the White House today, whilst diplomatic efforts continue to find a solution to the conflict between the United States and Iran. The meeting features on the US presidency’s official agenda.

“The President meets the Prime Minister of the State of Qatar”, reads the programme released by the White House, which does not provide any further details on the topics discussed.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed concern and accused the Israeli authorities of “ongoing illegal actions” aimed at “denying basic humanitarian assistance” to Gaza. “Heart-wrenching images of flooded tents and children in Gaza, with nowhere to go, trapped and suffering from hunger and extreme cold,” the Pakistani Prime Minister wrote on X. “I strongly condemn these breaches of the ceasefire and of international law, and this ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people,” he concluded.

Eisenkot has been tasked by Herzog with forming a new government in Israel, following Netanyahu’s six attempts. ‘We need new leadership we can trust,’ was the first message from the Yashar leader, signalling an opening towards Likud. But within the Change Bloc, objections and differences are emerging. Torrential rain in Gaza; 400,000 people have been evacuated from areas at risk of flooding. Trump urges Netanyahu to press ahead with the peace plan, whoever is in power in Israel. Today, the US president is meeting the Prime Minister of Qatar.

The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry has sounded the alarm over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, stating that Palestinians are facing “severe hardships in the winter cold, deprived of even the most basic living conditions”. During a press conference, Esmail Baghaei stated that, of the 600 lorries of food aid that should be entering Gaza under the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement, only around 120–122 are arriving each day, “a quantity that does not meet the needs of nearly two million Palestinian refugees”. Israel, he argued, continues to severely obstruct the entry of essential supplies into the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by the conflict.

US President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a telephone call on Thursday, that he wants him to take concrete steps to implement his peace plan for Gaza. This was reported by Axios, citing two sources familiar with the matter. The roadmap calls for the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip, as well as the transfer of responsibility for governing the enclave to a new Palestinian administration composed of technocrats. However, the plan has been on hold for months due to the Israeli elections on 27 October. Axios points out that the Trump administration did not want the implementation of the plan to become a politically explosive issue during the Israeli election campaign. Now that the election is over, the US president wants to press ahead with the plan, regardless of whether it is Netanyahu or his opposition who forms the new government.