TEHRAN – The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it intercepted a US MQ-1 drone with its air defence system east of the Strait of Hormuz, Press TV reported on Thursday.
The report comes as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Iran was in “close and ongoing contact” with intermediaries to review ideas that could ensure the implementation of Tehran’s seven-day peace plan amid the current conflict with the United States.
“While our brave armed forces are fully prepared to defend the homeland, Iran continues to give diplomacy a chance to succeed. We remain in close and ongoing contact with intermediaries to review ideas that can ensure implementation of our seven-day plan in even less than a week,” he said in a post on X.
Qatar-led mediators push for US-Iran deal to avert new strikes: report
Regional mediators led by Qatar are working to restart negotiations between the US and Iran to prevent a resumption of the war, the Axios news site reported on Wednesday.
They are urging Tehran to allow UN inspectors to visit bombed nuclear sites in return for some relief from US sanctions, according to the report, which cited US, Israeli and regional sources.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye are supporting the effort, it said.
US President Donald Trump told Axios that talks with Iran are taking place through mediators but said he does not know whether they will succeed.
“We need to finish the job — either through a deal or another way — we will find out if negotiations can succeed,” he said.
The report comes as Trump has threatened for weeks to launch large-scale strikes against Iran.
Letter for peace talks
Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that US Vice President JD Vance has sent a letter to Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei in an effort to revive peace negotiations.
According to the report, which cited US officials and people familiar with the matter, the letter was sent at Trump’s direction as Washington explores whether a diplomatic framework could prevent renewed US strikes against Iran in the coming weeks.
Asked whether he had directed Vance to speak with Iran, Trump said: “No, what it is is that they need help with medical supplies and various things.”
“He asked me what I thought. I said, if you want to do that, that’s okay. Basically, it’s getting supplies in to help people that are not well,” he added.
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