Iran Rules Out US Talks Until Washington Digests Midterm Shock

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that mediators seeking a US-Iran peace deal have paused travel due to the "shock" of the US midterm elections, where President Donald Trump's Republican Party suffered heavy losses. Araghchi told state TV that it remains unclear how long it will take for the US to "digest these results" before determining next steps. Regional powers Qatar and Pakistan have spent months trying to end the war launched by the US and Israel in late February, with fighting largely subsided but Iran blockading the Strait of Hormuz and the US Navy counterblockading Iranian ports. Araghchi called for patience, saying mediator travel would resume when "the atmosphere is favourable." He reiterated Iran's offer to reopen the strait in two days if Washington accepts demands including ending the war, unfreezing assets, and lifting oil sanctions, warning the White House to "choose war" at its peril.