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No one can accuse the Islamic Republic of Iran of not having tried the diplomatic path in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says.
Speaking to Iranian journalists in New York on Saturday, Araghchi explained that the main focus of his and President Masoud Pezeshkian’s meetings on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly was to explain and defend Iran’s conditions for reopening the strategic waterway.
“Tehran was required to clearly present the conditions set by Iran’s National Security Council and defend the logic behind them,” he remarked.
Iran presented several proposals during the meetings and through interviews, with the proposals being passed to Washington by intermediaries, Araghchi revealed.
The foreign minister noted that “US President Donald Trump’s messages have been contradictory” and maintained that “Iran would make its decision after receiving a clear response through the mediators.”
Speaking to a reporter about the outlook amid Iran’s proposals and initiatives and Trump’s continued position, Araghchi said, “The outlook is clear for the Iranian people. Our people have demonstrated their power to the world in the military, diplomatic, and economic spheres and in confronting sanctions.”
“There is no way forward other than a negotiated solution based on dignity and justice and ensuring the legitimate rights and demands of the Iranian people,” he added.
Araghchi holds negotiations with foreign diplomats
Also on Saturday, Araghchi held separate meetings with Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro, Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Valdrack Ludwig Yantseke Whitaker, UN Deputy Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Thomas Fletcher, and Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad bin Hasan.
Araghchi’s meeting with Lazaro was part of his diplomatic consultations in New York, where he held talks with dozens of foreign counterparts and international officials.
He also met with Nicaragua’s Whitaker, continuing consultations with countries that maintain relations with Tehran and discussing international developments and issues of mutual interest.
In his meeting with Fletcher, who also serves as the UN emergency relief coordinator, Araghchi discussed humanitarian issues, especially the Israeli genocide in Gaza.
During negotiations with Hasan, Araghchi thanked Malaysia for its positions condemning the US-Israeli aggression and war crimes against Iran, reaffirming Iran’s determination to defend its national security and sovereignty against US actions.
He briefed his Malaysian counterpart on the US-Israeli war, Washington’s violations and economic sanctions against the Iranian people, calling on developing countries to protect their common interests and oppose unilateralism.
The Iranian minister also explained the latest developments concerning the Strait of Hormuz, including an understanding between Iran and Oman on establishing safe shipping routes through the strategic waterway.
The two sides further discussed the need for greater coordination among Muslim countries, including through the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, over the genocide and crimes committed by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories and elsewhere in the region.
Araghchi and Hasan also agreed to continue consultations and expand bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
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Trump calls Iranian plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz not 'acceptable'
President Trump said on Saturday that he was rejecting an Iranian plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said the deal "would not be acceptable," speaking to reporters as he was departing the White House, without giving further explanation.
"I like making a deal too," he said. "But, I'm not — that deal would not be acceptable."
"They want to make a deal where they open the strait immediately because they're losing so badly," Trump added.
Iran made the proposal, which also called for resuming negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, at the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York this week.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters on Friday that Iran conveyed to the U.S. through Qatar a "concrete seven-day plan" to reopen the strait.
Iran initially closed the strait after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. The repeated closures have caused major disruptions to the world's oil supply.
"If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened and normal maritime passage restored within seven days," Araghchi said on Friday. "The choice now rests with the United States."
The Iranian proposal is similar to a "memorandum of understanding" agreed upon by the U.S. and Iran back in June. It would have temporarily ended fighting and restarted ceasefire talks.
The MoU gave Iran relief from a U.S. naval blockade. The U.S. eased sanctions and freed up frozen Iranian assets. In return, Iran promised not to seek a nuclear weapon and said it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The June agreement collapsed after disputes over the memo's vague wording, including language related to who would control the strait. The U.S. and Iran resumed strikes soon after.
"The actions that the United States should take are not new," Araghchi said. "They are all already in the MoU. They are already under the commitments of the United States. So we don't see any difficulty to implement them."
In a prerecorded interview with CBS set to air Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran will abide by its commitments and said the U.S. needs to show "that it does not intend to overthrow our government or our administration."
"If the United States agrees to proceed in that way, everything will return to the way it was before," Pezeshkian said to CBS. "Because right now, it's the United States that has blocked our way, and naturally, Iran has also blocked the way from its side. These are things that both sides need to open up first; then we can sit down at the negotiating table and discuss other issues at hand."
Pezeshkian said if the U.S. accepts the Iranian proposal on reopening the strait and resuming nuclear negotiations, Iran would allow U.N. nuclear inspectors to enter the country.
NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Emily Feng contributed reporting.
Open article →GDELTWashington D.C.
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The U.S. And Iran Are Reportedly Discussing a Deal To Reopen The Hormuz Strait. Oil Is Climbing Anyway.
Tehran said it can fully reopen the waterway in seven days if its conditions are met.
The U.S. and Iran are discussing a deal to end hostilities and gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to a new report.
However, the talks still face challenges because neither side wants to take the first step, Reuters detailed, citing a source familiar with the conversation.
An Iranian official said a way out would be them taking partial steps, with Iran allowing unrestricted traffic to resume while the U.S. lifts its blockade of the country's ports and allows Tehran to access frozen assets.
Oil prices are soaring despite the report. Brent crude, the international benchmark, climbed more than 4% and topped $107.5 at 3:21 a.m. ET, while West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, gained 3.37% and stood above $95 at the same time.
Iran has said it can reopen the Strait of Hormuz in a matter of seven days if it reaches a deal with Washington.
The countries have held talks on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, with President Donald Trump calling it "productive." "I think there's a lot of momentum for them to make a deal. That's what we are hearing from everybody," he added.
Secretary of State of State Marco Rubioalso claimed that discussions were positive, but were not a major breakthrough, adding that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is an impediment to any deal.
Both parties have also doubled down on threats at the same time.
Iran said President Donald Trump's most recent threats against the country if a deal to end the war is not reached soon are a sign of "strategic desperation."
Iran's General Staff said on Wednesday that "such words demonstrate America's strategic dead end in its aggression against the Iranian nation, and the repetition of baseless claims and threats, given the exhaustion of the U.S. military, is not a sign of power but a sign of their strategic desperation."
In a statement published in the country's semi-official news agency Merh, the force added that the threats are also a tool for domestic propaganda rather than something based on realities on the ground.
Paraphrasing the statement, the outlet also noted that Iranian forces believe Trump's threat do not "change power calculations and will never compensate for America's diminished position in the new global order or its humiliating defeats in the war against Iran and the Resistance Front."
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also challenged the U.S. during his address to the UNGA, saying the country "seeks no one's permission to defend itself."
During his address, Pezeshkian also claimed the country is not looking to obtain nuclear weapons and framed the country's actions during the war as defensive.
"We only seek to live independently," the president claimed. "We need strength to be able to defend ourselves" and "don't seek anyone's permission to defend our country."
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