Indirect technical talks between U.S. and Iranian teams got underway in Qatar today, after Iran’s top negotiator said his nation would not enter further high-level negotiations until the U.S. meets the terms of its memorandum of understanding with Iran. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf spoke on Iranian state television.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf: “Even now that we are negotiating with America, we are not negotiating with a friend. We are negotiating with an untrustworthy enemy who will definitely take action against us whenever they find the opportunity. In truth, a person can negotiate well only if they are also prepared for war.”

Ghalibaf added that Iran’s guarantee of free passage through the Strait of Hormuz is only valid for 60 days, and that Iran would never give up its rights to control the waterway under any circumstances. He called the strait Iran’s “greatest instrument of power.” Following those remarks, Iran’s Navy said a commercial container ship ran aground ⁠in shallow waters as it tried to circumvent the normal shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has threatened to bomb Iran for a third time despite the Trump administration’s apparent efforts at diplomacy.