Iran Steps Up Diplomacy as Trump Threatens Renewed Strikes
Iran has stepped up diplomatic efforts as U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Washington could resume full-scale strikes on Iran. Al Jazeera reported the developments on November 6, 2026.
Trump told reporters the U.S. may have to "destroy" the rest of Iran, and said people would "know soon enough" whether he acts. Axios quoted a U.S. official saying U.S. Central Command was preparing to resume major military operations in Iran and was waiting for orders from Washington. Trump also met his top security advisers for the first time since the midterm elections, according to The Times of India.
Military incidents continued at sea. Iran downed two U.S. reconnaissance drones, unmanned surveillance aircraft, near Qeshm island in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway off Iran's coast. Three tankers were reported hit in the strait on November 6, according to Al Jazeera's liveblog. In March, the White House said Iran and its proxies had carried out more than 180 attacks against U.S. forces in the Middle East, wounding more than 180 U.S. service members.
Tehran has tied any diplomacy to conditions. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran had offered the U.S. a new nuclear and peace proposal through Qatari mediators, to be discussed only after Washington meets Iran's seven demands. Those demands include lifting sanctions, which are economic penalties, unfreezing Iranian assets, and ending the U.S. naval blockade of Iran's ports in and around the strait.
Mohsen Rezaei, a senior Iranian security official, travelled to Moscow for talks and met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. He delivered a message from Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Rezaei said Putin condemned U.S. and Israeli military strikes against Iran, including attacks on its nuclear facilities. Rezaei also said: "As long as they do not execute our seven conditions, we will neither open the Strait of Hormuz nor have negotiations."
Reaction from other capitals has varied. German minister Johann Wadephul said Germany continued to favour economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure over renewed military action against Iran, according to Iran International. U.S. Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari condemned Trump's threat of further attacks on Iran, as Gulf News reported.
