Baghaei: Iran Reviewing Latest US Proposals
TEHRAN (ANTARA) – Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday (12 October) that his country was reviewing the latest points conveyed by the United States in response to Iran’s position. Iran would communicate its views to the mediators as soon as the review was complete.
At a weekly press conference in Tehran, Baghaei outlined the latest US response, delivered to Iran through mediators, concerning Iran’s “seven-day plan”. He added that the plan essentially calls for the restoration of Tehran’s legitimate rights.
On 22 September, Iran submitted a plan to the United States to halt hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal, subsequently known as the seven-day plan, was delivered through mediators on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Baghaei listed several conditions Iran has set for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including the lifting of the US naval blockade, an end to the war on all fronts, and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
The conditions are included in a peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Tehran and Washington in June. Baghaei said they had not changed and that Iran would not show any flexibility regarding its rights.
According to the spokesman, the United States had previously put forward a number of demands and continued to claim that Iran’s nuclear issue remained its primary concern.
Iranian Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei said on Sunday (11 October) that the United States had accepted some of the seven conditions proposed by Tehran for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. However, uncertainty remains over Washington’s position on Iran’s other requirements.
On 28 February, Israel and the United States launched a joint attack on Tehran and several other Iranian cities. Iran retaliated with a series of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel, as well as US bases and assets in the region. Iran also tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire between the parties to the conflict was reached on 8 April. On 18 June, Iran and the United States signed an MoU on ending the war across the region on all fronts.
Under the MoU, the two countries were scheduled to hold talks within 60 days, with a deadline of 17 August, to reach a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme and the lifting of sanctions.
However, they failed to make sufficient progress towards an agreement, while tensions continued to rise.