Iran, Turkish foreign ministers discuss regional developments

US President Donald Trump said he still believes Iran wants a deal and is waiting for an updated Iranian proposal, Axios reported, citing an interview with the president on Sunday.

Trump said he hoped the new proposal would be better than the last offer Tehran submitted several days ago, according to Axios.

Trump declined to give a specific deadline for negotiations with Iran, the report said.

Mojtaba Khamenei’s representative at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said diplomatic talks were proceeding under official supervision and with the supreme leader’s approval.

“Our negotiations are moving forward under the supervision of officials and with the approval of the leadership,” Abdollah Haji Sadeghi said.

“Sacred unity is more important than anything,” he added.

“We have a courageous, insightful, wise and commanding leader who guides the people beautifully,” Haji Sadeghi said.

Iran’s pop diva and national icon Googoosh received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor as one of 76 honorees recognized this year for contributions in fields including entertainment, public service, media and philanthropy.

“I dedicate this medal with love and respect to the people of Iran,” Googoosh said on Instagram.

She described Iranians as a people who had endured years of “suffering, patience, hope and dignity.”

Three empty US-sanctioned tankers slipped through the US Navy blockade line on Iran and entered the perimeter in recent days, maritime intelligence company Tanker Trackers said on Sunday.

“Together, they can lift 1.9 million barrels of Iranian oil,” the company said.

TankerTrackers said one vessel briefly turned off AIS, another was Russian-flagged and a third hugged the Omani coastline.

Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held a phone call with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss efforts to end the crisis and support regional stability, Qatar’s foreign ministry said.

During the call Al Thani told Araghchi that “closing the Strait of Hormuz or using it as a bargaining chip would only deepen the crisis and expose the vital interests of the region's countries to danger," according to Qatar's foreign ministry.

He also stressed “the importance of adhering to the rules of international law and the principles of good neighborliness,” prioritizing the interests of the region and its peoples, and supporting de-escalation efforts.