US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday his rejection of the Iranian proposal, stressing that the United States is victorious and has full control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran presented to the United States a seven-day plan, drawn up “in coordination” with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, to stop hostilities and reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, in a new attempt to break the stalemate in the war that has been going on for about seven months.
The vital waterway for global oil supplies is considered pivotal in the conflict between the United States and Iran, which has reached a dead end about seven months after its outbreak.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed earlier that the new plan proposed by his country was developed “in coordination” with the Supreme Leader and will be implemented “without any problems” if the United States agrees.
“Coordination has been made with the leader of the revolution,” Pezeshkian said, in an interview with the CBS network published by the Iranian news agency (IRNA) on Saturday, adding that if the United States agrees to the Iranian plan “and fulfills its obligations, we will do the same, and there will be no problem in this regard.”
The Iranian President announced the formation of a six-member team that “includes representatives of various organizations and bodies, including the army, parliament, and government.”
Pezeshkian, who concluded a week of diplomatic talks on Friday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York, added that this team “meets to discuss the issues raised and has the authority to make decisions.”
In New York, Pezeshkian met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, according to the Iranian presidency. He said, “Iran has not withdrawn from the negotiating table, but in light of previous experiences, it no longer trusts the United States.”
But new efforts by mediators on the sidelines of the General Assembly this week have inspired some optimism about progress toward reaching an agreement.
Official media quoted the highest security body as denying that Iran was planning military moves in response to the ban on its flights.
Earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi held talks with Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, after presenting Tehran's conditions for ending the war and reopening the vital shipping lane.
Araqchi said from the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday, "Iran has conveyed to the United States via Qatar a concrete seven-day plan. If the necessary conditions are met, the strait may be reopened and transit traffic may return to normal within seven days."
He pointed out that “the choice now rests with the United States.” Iran does not accept repression, threats, or intimidation, and it will not give up its sovereign rights under pressure.”
The Iranian ban on flights from Iraqi airports escalated yesterday, putting additional pressure on Tehran to intensify its efforts to negotiate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
It was reported in Iraq that airports vital to Iran refrained from operating regular daily flights to Tehran and other cities, as part of the ban announced by Washington two days ago on all Iranian air traffic around the world. With Iraqi airports complying with the ban, Iran's aviation sector has taken a severe financial and operational hit.
The Iranian company Mahan Air announced the cancellation of its scheduled flights to Erbil and Jalal Talabani airports in Sulaymaniyah, in the Kurdistan region, after being informed that they were not allowed to operate. The Iraqi News Agency also said that Najaf Airport suspended all flights to and from Iran.
Mohammad Mohammad, advisor to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, warned that if Tehran was unable to operate flights and obtain airport services, no one in the region would be able to do so either.
The ban on Iran's aviation coincided with Tehran's unveiling of a 7-day plan it proposed to Washington, which stipulates reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming negotiations aimed at reaching a final agreement to end the war that has been going on between them for 7 months.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said, “The proposal submitted by Iran to the United States through mediators stipulates that Washington must meet certain conditions within 7 days in order to resume talks and reopen the Strait,” according to CNN.
