Middle East: Iran expresses openness to US negotiations amid ongoing conflict

Six months after the conflict began with joint US and Israeli strikes against Iran, the Middle East remains in a state of high instability. Iran has expressed continued openness to negotiations with the United States, asserting that economic sanctions will not force the Islamic Republic to yield. Diplomatic efforts are ongoing, including discussions between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to revive a diplomatic path with Washington.

On the ground, military activity continues. The Israeli army conducted a targeted strike against several individuals in the Jenin region of the occupied West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli strikes in Al-Qarara killed three members of the same family, according to local civil defense and hospital reports.

Regional tensions are further reflected in maritime activity, as the number of commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz has seen a significant decline. Meanwhile, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, following new US sanctions aimed at targeting Tehran and its commercial partners.