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National interests determine approach to US engagement: Spox
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei pointed to recent visits of high-ranking officials from Oman, Qatar, and Pakistan to Tehran, stressing that Iran’s national interests determine its approach to negotiations with the United States.
Speaking at his weekly press briefing on Tuesday, Baqaei said decisions are made based on the prevailing circumstances and what is required to safeguard those interests.
He also said that Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, “carried neither a positive message nor a negative one” during his recent visit to Iran.
Baqaei explained that the visit was in line with Pakistan’s role as a friendly and neighboring country, and falls within the framework of Islamabad’s efforts in recent months to help reduce tensions between Iran and the US.
The spokesman highlighted that de-escalation attempts are not restricted to Pakistan, and that several other countries have also played a role in this regard.
Mediator Qatar on Tuesday urged the US and Iran to return to negotiations after they renewed tit-for-tat attacks.
On Sunday, the US carried out strikes on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran quickly retaliating by attacking US military targets in the Middle East.
After six months of war, the foes remain at an impasse, with Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz and the US persisting with a blockade of Iranian ports.
“We have said from day one that leaving the issue unresolved and trying to normalize the closure of the strait would lead to escalation,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a regular press briefing.
“This is precisely what we have witnessed over the past two days,” he said.
“We urge the parties to exercise wisdom and return to the negotiating path, and we continue to intensify our efforts with our mediation partners to ensure a return to that path.”
“In Qatar, in the region, in the world today, we cannot afford to accept the status quo,” Ansari said.
“Discussions with our mediation partners – whether in Pakistan or Oman – are ongoing,” he added.
Last week, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani traveled to Tehran as part of the mediation efforts, after Iran and Oman, which border the key waterway, said they were discussing a temporary shipping corridor and the clearance of mines.
Baqaei said that the main problem with the US is that it confuses negotiations with “dictating terms” and assumes it can impose its demands on others, an approach that, he stressed, will not work with Iran
“There is no doubt that American officials are confused in their approaches and statements; but this does not permit us to overlook our capabilities. We will utilize diplomatic means wherever necessary to elaborate on our stances and uphold the rights of the Iranian nation,” Baqaei stated.