The Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until seven conditions set by Iran in a temporary agreement with the United States in June are met, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has said, according to Iranian state media.
During the United Nations General Assembly, Iran presented a proposal under which the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and normal maritime traffic restored within seven days, provided that the specified conditions were met.
According to Qalibaf, who also serves as Iran’s chief negotiator, the United States responded to the proposal last week through Qatari mediators.
“The position of the Islamic Republic of Iran is completely clear and firm. The Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until our seven conditions, based on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, are met,” Qalibaf was quoted as saying.
He added that Washington must understand that the period of delaying the diplomatic process and imposing unilateral demands has come to an end.
Iran: No Discussions on the Nuclear Program
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had conveyed its general positions regarding the U.S. response through intermediaries, but that several other issues still remained to be communicated.
According to him, the U.S. proposals are largely consistent with Washington’s previous positions, particularly on the nuclear issue.
Baghaei said Iran had made it clear to the Americans that, at this stage, Tehran’s focus is on the Strait of Hormuz and that restoring security along the waterway requires clear steps from the United States.
He also denied that Iran had offered the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to inspect its nuclear facilities in exchange for relief from U.S. sanctions, Reuters reports.
According to a circulating document and an official familiar with the talks, the plan provides for a seven-day confidence-building period aimed at returning the two sides to an enhanced version of the memorandum of understanding reached in June.
The plan also includes concrete steps concerning Iran’s nuclear program. According to the official, the disagreement between the two sides is mainly over the sequencing and timing of implementing these steps, rather than the components of the plan itself.
