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Iran says seeks US concrete guarantees to end war
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said Iran wants concrete US guarantees to end the war, stressing that Tehran is pursuing a diplomatic solution despite repeated US breaches of commitments.
Speaking to Russia 1 television on Thursday, Khatibzadeh said Tehran’s policy is to bring the crisis to an end through diplomacy, even though Washington had repeatedly betrayed the negotiating process.
Khatibzadeh said that in recent weeks, following the US government’s violation of the Islamabad understanding, Iran had kept its defensive capabilities at the highest possible level and remained prepared for any scenario.
At the same time, he said, Tehran had sought to prevent further regional crises by putting forward proposals through intermediaries, including Qatar and Pakistan.
One such proposal is Iran’s seven-day initiative, which Tehran has submitted to Washington through Qatar, Khatibzadeh said. He added that Iran had recently received the US’s response to the plan through the Qatari mediator. Araghchi outlined the initiative’s details in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Khatibzadeh said.
Iran is seeking concrete US assurances that the war will end on all fronts, alongside the release of frozen assets, the lifting of the blockade and other measures it considers necessary, Khatibzadeh said.
Under the initiative put forward by the Islamic Republic, Iran would be prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin negotiations at the end of the sixth day, provided the United States fulfilled all its commitments, he added.
Under Iran’s proposal, he explained, Tehran would be ready to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin negotiations at the end of the sixth day if Washington fulfills all its commitments.
Iran rejects Bloomberg report
Meanwhile, an Iranian source rejected a report by Bloomberg claiming that Araghchi privately proposed allowing international nuclear inspectors back into the country’s bombed nuclear facilities in exchange for sanctions relief.
The informed source told IRNA that, “No discussion of the issue was raised in the talks with the mediators.”
Bloomberg claimed that Araghchi raised the idea in meetings at the United Nations with European and Middle Eastern diplomats in New York.
Back in February 28, the US and the Israeli regime launched an unprovoked war on Iran, assassinating Iran’s Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, senior military commanders and thousands of civilians.
Iran responded with a series of retaliatory operations targeting US military assets and bases across the region.
The escalation ultimately forced the US and the Israeli regime to agree to a Pakistani-mediated ceasefire on April 8. They also signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding to end the war, but Washington soon violated the agreement by failing to respect Iran’s arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz.
The strategically vital waterway was largely closed during the war, severely disrupting regional maritime traffic and placing further pressure on energy shipments.
The Strait remains closed, and Iran has made clear that it will not allow its reopening until the United States meets the demands Tehran has announced.