Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf stated that the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until seven Iranian conditions set out in a June interim agreement with the United States are met. According to state media, Qalibaf, who is Iran's top negotiator, made the remarks yesterday. The conditions are based on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. Qalibaf emphasized that Iran's position is clear and firm.
Iran presented a proposal during the UN General Assembly under which the Strait of Hormuz waterway could be reopened and normal maritime passage restored within seven days if the conditions were met. The US replied to this proposal last week via Qatari intermediaries. Qalibaf warned that Washington "must understand that the period of dragging out the (diplomatic) process and dictating one-sided demands is over".
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said yesterday that Tehran had clarified its broad positions via mediators to the US response but that additional points remained to be communicated to Washington. He also denied Tehran had offered UN nuclear watchdog inspections of its nuclear facilities in exchange for US sanctions relief, saying Iran had not entered into nuclear discussions with Washington.
The document being circulated outlines a seven-day period of trust-building aimed at returning the two sides to an enhanced version of the memorandum of understanding agreed in June. This includes concrete steps on Iran's nuclear programme, according to an official briefed on the talks. The disagreement centres on the sequencing of the steps rather than the components of the plan.
Qatar has been shuttling messages between Washington and Tehran in an effort to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. The Strait of Hormuz was closed following US and Israeli attacks on Iran at the end of February. The June memorandum of understanding led to a brief ceasefire and included provisions on the strait and Iran's nuclear programme.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told foreign ambassadors and diplomats in Tehran on Sunday that Tehran hoped Washington would choose diplomacy but warned that Iran was prepared to respond if the US again chose military action. Araqchi added that if the US resumed large-scale military attacks, Iran would take necessary action to defend itself.
Iran is preparing a broader and more forceful response if Washington resumes large-scale military attacks, according to sources. Army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia announced on Sunday that Iran would upgrade the range of its missiles. The development comes as diplomatic efforts continue to resolve the conflict.
Key points
- The Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until seven Iranian conditions set out in a June interim agreement with the US are met.
- Iran and the US have been engaging in diplomatic efforts via Qatari intermediaries to resolve the conflict.
- The conflict centres on the sequencing of steps to return to an enhanced version of the memorandum of understanding agreed in June.
