Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tuesday that Tehran continues to prioritize diplomacy with the United States but remains prepared for military confrontation, signaling a dual-track approach as tensions with Washington persist.
"We are pursuing dialogue, but if the dialogue is not implemented, we are also prepared for war and will respond accordingly," Ghalibaf said in an interview on state television, as Iranian and U.S. delegations were due to hold separate discussions in Doha.
Ghalibaf also said Iran was unable to export any oil during the U.S. blockade on its ports, noting that exports have since surged.
"From the day the blockade was lifted until today, we have exported more than 40 million barrels of oil," he said in an interview on state television. "By contrast, during the previous 50 to nearly 60 days, we were genuinely unable to export even a single barrel of oil.
Meanwhile, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani affirmed his country's continued mediation efforts and its support for all tracks of talks stemming from the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
Sheikh Mohammed's remarks came in a meeting with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, where they discussed developments in ongoing U.S.-Iran talks.
The statement did not provide further details on the content of the discussions.
