Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said diplomacy remains the only way to resolve the dispute with the United States. His remarks came after reports that US President Donald Trump had rejected Tehran’s peace proposal, which includes, among other things, restoring shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Reuters reports.
“Our conditions are clear, and any step towards restoring traffic through the Strait of Hormuz depends on meeting those conditions. Only a negotiated solution can get them out of this deadlock,” Araghchi said.
Last week, during the UN General Assembly in New York, Iran passed a peace initiative to the US via Qatari intermediaries. According to Araghchi, the intermediaries have not yet officially informed Tehran of Washington’s final position.
“We are waiting for the intermediaries to convey the final position to us, and on that basis we will make a decision,” the Iranian minister noted.
Earlier, Donald Trump said he had rejected Iran’s proposal. He linked Tehran’s initiative to open the Strait of Hormuz to the situation on the battlefield.
“They want to strike a deal immediately to open the Strait of Hormuz because they are suffering devastating losses,” Trump told reporters at the White House on 26 September.
At the same time, Araghchi had previously said the deal proposed by Iran envisages a seven-day timeframe to open the Strait of Hormuz and halt hostilities in the region.
“If the US is serious about reaching an agreement and opening the Strait of Hormuz, then everything is already ready. If the US agrees, the parties to the conflict could begin broader talks on issues agreed on a mutual basis,” he said.
- The Wall Street Journal was the first to report Trump’s rejection of Iran’s proposal, citing US officials. According to the newspaper, Trump privately expressed doubts about Iran’s willingness to meet his demands and considered the possibility of resuming air strikes after the US midterm elections in November.