TEHRAN, Sept. 25– Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian late Thursday reaffirmed his country’s commitment to dialogue and diplomacy while accusing the United States of repeatedly disrupting the negotiation process.
“We have favored dialogue and continue to do so. However, if there is any recommendation (regarding the need to pursue diplomacy), it must be conveyed to the American side, as at various junctures, the dialogue process was disrupted by the United States,” he said.
Pezeshkian made the remarks at a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, according to a statement published on the website of his office.
On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi also underlined the country’s “responsible” approach towards using diplomacy for resolving issues related to its “peaceful” nuclear program during a meeting with his British counterpart Ed Miliband on the UNGA sidelines, according to a statement by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday.
At a UNGA press briefing on Thursday, he said Tehran had proposed to Washington a seven-day plan to cease hostilities, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and then begin comprehensive talks on its nuclear program, according to The New York Times.
The minister added that the proposal closely reflected commitments in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Tehran and Washington in June on ending the war and expressed Iran’s readiness to begin implementing it once the United States agrees, saying that “it would be better” if a deal was reached before the U.S. midterm elections.
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.
Under the June MoU, negotiations were scheduled within 60 days, which ended on Aug. 17, to reach a final agreement, but the talks’ fate remains unclear following recent escalations. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
