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IRAN’S Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has extended Eid al-Fitr greetings to Muslims in Southeast Asia while thanking governments and citizens in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei for their solidarity with Iran amid intensifying conflict.
“Thank you to the government and the Muslim community, as well as advocates of justice in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei), who condemned the violent aggression of the United States and the Zionist regime against the Muslim people of Iran during Ramadan and showed solidarity.”
Bernama-Anadolu reported on Sunday that his remarks come as military tensions in West Asia continue to escalate following sustained strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran since 28 February. The attacks have reportedly caused civilian casualties and killed senior Iranian figures, including the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and security chief Ali Larijani.
Tehran has responded with targeted strikes on Israel as well as US assets and bases across the Gulf, widening the scope of the conflict.
Behind the scenes, discussions are underway in Washington over what potential peace negotiations might look like.
According to reports cited by Axios, internal deliberations have begun as U.S. President Donald Trump indicated he is considering “winding down” the conflict. However, US officials reportedly expect fighting could continue for another two to three weeks.
Advisers are simultaneously attempting to lay the groundwork for possible diplomacy. Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are involved in early-stage discussions on potential negotiations.
Any agreement to end hostilities would likely address key strategic issues, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, limiting Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and establishing a long-term framework governing Tehran’s nuclear programme, ballistic missile capabilities, and support for regional proxy groups.
Although there has been no direct contact between Washington and Tehran in recent days, intermediaries including Egypt, Qatar and the United Kingdom have been relaying messages. Egypt and Qatar have reportedly conveyed that Iran is open to negotiations, albeit under strict conditions.
Iran’s demands include a ceasefire, guarantees against renewed hostilities, and compensation. Trump has rejected reparations outright, calling the demand a "nonstarter", though one US official suggested the issue could be reframed. “They call it reparations. Maybe we call it return of frozen money. There's many different ways that we can wordsmith so that it solves politically what they need to solve, to develop consensus in their system," the anonymous official said.
Washington, for its part, is seeking extensive commitments from Iran, including a five-year suspension of its missile programme, a halt to uranium enrichment, and the dismantling of nuclear reactors at facilities in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow that were previously targeted in strikes.
The US is also pushing for strict international monitoring of centrifuge activity, regional arms control agreements limiting missile ranges, and an end to Iranian support for groups such as Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas.
US officials are also debating who within Iran would be the most effective counterpart for negotiations and which country could act as mediator. While Araghchi has previously served as a key intermediary, some in Washington question whether he has the authority to finalise any agreement.
Qatar is being considered as a potential mediator, particularly given its role in Gaza-related negotiations, although Qatari officials are said to be reluctant to take on a prominent public role.
Despite these diplomatic manoeuvres, public rhetoric remains sharply divided. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: "They want to make a deal. I don't," adding that the US had achieved its military objectives “weeks ahead of schedule” and had “blown Iran off of the map.”
He further claimed that Iran’s leadership, navy and air force had been eliminated and that Tehran has “absolutely no defense.” These remarks followed earlier statements in which he said Washington was seeking talks but that there was “nobody to talk to” after weeks of strikes.
Earlier in the conflict, Trump had suggested Iran had reached out for negotiations, though he also described Tehran as “not ready.”
Araghchi has firmly rejected claims that Iran is seeking an exit from the war, stating previously that Iran “never asked for a ceasefire” and remains “ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes.”
The conflict, which began with US-Israeli strikes on 28 February, has since expanded into a broader regional confrontation, with no immediate resolution in sight. -- March 22, 2026
