Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Sep 27: Iran on Sunday insisted that diplomacy remains the only way to resolve its conflict with the United States and Israel after US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the fighting.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran's conditions for reopening the strategic waterway remained unchanged and that any move towards reopening the Strait of Hormuz would depend on those conditions being met through a negotiated settlement.
"Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met," Araghchi said, adding that only a negotiated solution could resolve the deadlock.
Iran had presented a seven-day roadmap through Qatari mediators during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Under the proposal, Tehran said the Strait could be reopened within seven days if Washington agreed to a series of measures, including lifting its naval blockade of Iranian ports, releasing frozen Iranian funds, easing sanctions on Iranian oil sales and agreeing to a ceasefire.
Araghchi said the proposed steps could be completed within four or five days, allowing the Strait to reopen and broader negotiations to begin by the seventh day. The discussions could include Iran's nuclear programme and other issues agreed upon by both sides.
Trump, however, publicly rejected the proposal on Saturday. He said Iran wanted an agreement to reopen the waterway because it was "losing so badly" and indicated that the proposed deal was not acceptable to Washington.
Despite Trump's public rejection, Araghchi said Iran had not yet received a formal response from Washington through the mediators. He said Tehran was waiting for the mediators to convey the US position officially before deciding its next step.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a major flashpoint in the conflict, with disruption to shipping through the strategic waterway affecting oil flows and regional trade. The conflict has also contributed to volatility in global energy markets.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran is prepared to engage in talks on its nuclear programme and other issues but would not accept pressure or coercion. He has also said Iran is not seeking war but would defend itself against threats and attacks.
At the same time, an Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran would not compromise on what it considers its rights under its nuclear programme, including uranium enrichment. The official said Iran would also not agree to ship highly enriched uranium out of the country.
The latest diplomatic efforts come after months of conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel. Previous attempts to secure a lasting agreement have failed, while fighting and retaliatory attacks have affected security, shipping and energy supplies across the region.
For now, Tehran has kept the door open to negotiations while maintaining that reopening the Strait of Hormuz is conditional on an agreement addressing its demands. Washington, meanwhile, has rejected the latest Iranian proposal, leaving the diplomatic process at an uncertain stage.