Iran offers to end chokehold on Strait of Hormuz and asks US to end blockade, officials say
CAIRO (AP) — Iran has offered to end its pressure on the Strait of Hormuz without addressing its nuclear program, two regional officials with knowledge of the offer said on Monday, adding that Iran’s foreign minister’s visit to Russia was an opportunity to consult with Moscow on the issue. war Against Israel and the USA.
Iran also wants the United States to lift its blockade of the country as part of its offer, said two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door negotiations.
The new proposal forwarded by Pakistan to the US is unlikely to be supported by US President Donald Trump, who wants to end Iran’s atomic program as part of an overall agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and make the ceasefire permanent.
“We have all the cards. If they want to talk, they can come to us or call us,” Trump said on Fox News Channel on Sunday.
News outlet Axios first reported Iran’s offer.
Iranian Foreign Minister visited Russia
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in St. Petersburg on Monday morning ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said he landed in St. Petersburg. His weekend trip included two stops in Pakistan and a visit to Oman, which shares the strait with Iran.
Araghchi’s visit took place at a time when the dispute between Iran and the USA in the critically important Strait of Hormuz continued despite the ceasefire. oil prices high.
“It is a good opportunity for us to consult with our Russian friends about the developments regarding the war during this period and what is happening now,” Araghchi said in a video interview published by IRNA.
Talks were expected in Islamabad
Pakistan is trying to revive Negotiations between Iran and the USA stalledNegotiations were expected to be held in Islamabad over the weekend. However, US President Donald Trump suggested that the talks could be held by phone instead.
Araghchi said it was America’s approach that “caused the negotiations to be delayed.”
“The previous one failed to achieve its goals despite the progress made,” he said, blaming Washington’s “excessive demands”.
Trump questioned who is currently in charge in Iran and said confusion in the theocracy makes it difficult to reach an agreement.
The White House announced last week that it would send ambassadors Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad to follow the developments. Historical face-to-face meetings earlier this month. But Araghchi left Pakistan’s capital on Saturday, and shortly after Trump said he was canceling the mission because of a lack of progress with Iran.
“We can talk if they want, but we’re not sending people,” Trump told Fox News on Sunday. He previously said on social media: “All they have to do is call!!!”
Araghchi then returned to Islamabad and also visited Muscat, the capital of Oman, before heading to Russia. He also spoke by phone with his counterparts in Qatar and Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
The Strait of Hormuz is at the center of Iran discussions in Oman
A stalemate continues Strait of HormuzThe narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which one-fifth of oil and gas trade normally passes, as Iran restricts movement in this area and the United States imposes sanctions. Blockade of Iranian ports.
The June contract for Brent crude, the international standard, was trading around $107 a barrel on Monday, down from $72 a barrel before the war.
oil prices It has risen steadily since the war began, with tankers full of crude oil stranded in the Persian Gulf, unable to pass safely through the strait and unable to reach global distribution points.
The economic crisis is growing In the second month of the war, not only oil but also liquefied natural gas, fertilizer and other materials are broken with the strategic strait almost closed.
Iran wants to persuade Oman to support a mechanism collect tolls from ships He was passing through the strait, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter.
Oman’s reaction was not immediately clear.
The official, who is involved in mediation efforts, also said that Iran insists on ending the US blockade before new talks and that Pakistan-led mediators are trying to bridge significant gaps between the countries.
Trump last week ceasefire extended indefinitely The United States and Iran agreed on April 7 to largely halt the hostilities that began with the joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28. But a permanent solution to the war that has killed thousands of people and shaken the global economy remains elusive.
Even before Saturday’s developments, Iran’s Foreign Ministry had stated that any talks would be indirect and Pakistani officials would act as mediators; This reflects Tehran’s cautious stance following indirect talks last year and earlier this year that resulted in Iran being attacked by the US and Israel.
Trump says Iran offered ‘much better’ offer
Both sides continued to make military threats. Iran’s joint military command warned on Saturday that it would face a “strong response” if the “US continues its aggressive military actions, including naval blockades, banditry and piracy.”
Trump gave instructions to the military last week “Shoot and kill” small boats it can plant a mine in the waterway.
Trump told reporters on Saturday that Iran sent a “much better” offer within 10 minutes of Witkoff and Kushner canceling their trip to Islamabad.
He did not give details, but emphasized that one of the conditions was that Iran “do not have nuclear weapons”. Status Iran’s enriched uranium has been at the center of tension for a long time. According to the UN nuclear watchdog, Tehran has 440 kilograms (970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity; it’s a short, technical step up from the weapons-grade levels.
At least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran since the beginning of the war, and at least 2,509 people have been killed in Lebanon, where the Israel-Hezbollah conflict resumed two days after the start of the Iran war. Another 23 people were killed in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab countries. 15 Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, 13 US soldiers in the region and 6 UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon were killed.
Another truce – between Lebanese militant Hezbollah group backed by Israel and Iran – extended by three weeks. Hezbollah did not participate in diplomacy mediated by Washington.
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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. AP correspondent Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.
