TEHRAN, Sept. 29– Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said Iran expects to receive on Tuesday the final U.S. response to its proposed plan for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He made the remarks on Monday local time in New York before leaving for Tehran after taking part in the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
Araghchi said Iran’s conditions and plan for ceasing hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz have been conveyed to the United States through the Qatari mediator. Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s initial rejection of the plan, Tehran is waiting to receive Washington’s official response through the mediators, he added.
“The Qatari mediator is set to raise the matter with the American side once again, after which it will convey the American side’s final response to us. I hope that this will be done by tomorrow (Tuesday),” he said. He rejected the media reports claiming that Iran would show flexibility regarding its nuclear program, emphasizing that the country’s positions have not changed at all.
Araghchi said the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is the sole focus of the ongoing discussions, and the waterway’s opening hinges on the fulfilment of Iran’s conditions, which are “fair and logical.” Araghchi had earlier said that under Iran’s plan, the country would reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States accepted its conditions.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
On June 18, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the war in the region on all fronts, including Lebanon. Under the MoU, they were scheduled to hold negotiations within a period of 60 days, which ended on Aug. 17, to reach a final agreement, but the talks’ fate remains unclear following a series of recent escalations between the two countries. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
