Negotiators seeking to prevent a new escalation in the Middle East are putting pressure on Tehran to make concessions over its nuclear program in order for peace talks with the United States to resume, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The effort is considered difficult, as Donald Trump rejected the ceasefire proposal put forward by Iran in New York and is seeking to bring the original goal of the US military campaign back to the forefront: preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

At the same time, Washington is seeking to steer the discussion away from the issue of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as the blockade it has imposed on Iranian ports and the economic strangulation of Iran provide it with a very strong negotiating card.

In a speech to the UN General Assembly last week, Trump said he was even considering the possibility of “eliminating” the Iranian government in order to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear bomb. However, Iran has so far failed to convince that it is willing to discuss substantial changes to its nuclear program.

Tehran Says It Is Ready for “War Until the End”

Officials from Middle Eastern countries that maintain contacts with Tehran claim that the Iranian leadership believes it can withstand a prolonged US blockade or a new bombing campaign.

According to the same sources, power in Iran has now become more concentrated in the hands of the Revolutionary Guards, the military and economic force that has traditionally taken a hard line against possible compromises with the West.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that his country remains open to diplomacy, but will respond to any attack. “We are fully prepared for the resumption of war. We remain steadfast in the face of any new aggression, even if this leads to a war until destruction. At the same time, we are ready for diplomacy. The choice belongs to President Trump,” he told US network NBC.

Araghchi remained in New York after the UN General Assembly for additional contacts, but Arab mediators said that Iran had made no concessions following Trump’s rejection of the ceasefire proposal.

Qatar Warns: “Resolving the Conflict Is Becoming Increasingly Difficult”

Arab countries in the Persian Gulf maintain that Iran is seeking concessions from Washington first before returning to the negotiating table.

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said in an interview with Bloomberg that the conflict was becoming increasingly difficult to manage, referring also to attacks by the pro-Iranian Houthis in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Qatar is one of the main channels of communication between Washington and Tehran. “This conflict is very complicated. There is no clear strategy that we are following to bring it to an end, and that is exactly what we are lacking today,” the sheikh said.

Trump Considers a New Military Operation Possible

The US president appears sceptical about the prospects for diplomatic success and has told associates that he considers a new bombing campaign possible, according to the Wall Street Journal.

On Friday, Trump rejected an Iranian ceasefire proposal that called for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the end of the US blockade of Iranian ports for seven days, allowing time for negotiations.

The US now believes that the naval blockade has had serious repercussions for the Iranian economy. At the same time, US and Arab officials maintain that Iran is losing control of the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, as millions of barrels of oil continue to pass through the strategically important waterway.

“This weakens Iran’s negotiating power,” said Umer Karim, a Gulf security researcher at the University of Birmingham.

The Old Agreement Framework and the New Demands

Iran is seeking a return to the memorandum of understanding agreed with Trump in June, which provided for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the launch of new talks on the nuclear program.

In return, Tehran was seeking the easing of certain sanctions, the unfreezing of billions of dollars in Iranian assets abroad and the lifting of the US blockade.

US officials argue that the agreement was particularly favourable to Iran and that Trump no longer wishes to return to it. Instead, Washington has strengthened sanctions against Iran and countries that cooperate economically with Tehran, while seeking to restrict even air links with the country.

“It is not surprising that all sides are hardening their positions,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

The Conditions for a New Agreement

An official from a Middle Eastern country involved in the peace efforts said that Iran could make compromises on its nuclear program and that it had been close to such a move earlier this year, during talks with US Vice President J.D. Vance.

However, according to the same official, Tehran will need clear guarantees that Israel will not launch a new attack against it after any agreement is reached between the US and Iran.