Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei stressed that “Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz and ships that cross “unsafe” routes, and under America’s pressure, unfortunately they are exposed to accidents, and as long as America continues its measures, we will not witness the return of security to this waterway.”
He said in a press conference in the capital, Tehran, on Monday: “Ships that want to cross must coordinate with the relevant Iranian authorities. We control the enemy’s drones and shoot them down. This is clear in defending our land.”
Regarding negotiations, Baqai pointed out that diplomacy and the field are not two separate fields, but rather they are two tools, and as long as we believe that we must use these tools to protect national interests, we will definitely not hesitate.
In response to the US Iron Gate project against Iran, Baghaei said: The origin of this idea called the Iron Gate comes from those American military personnel who are trying to justify their failure.
He stressed that the two-day plan, presented by Iran, is evidence of Iran's good faith.
He said: "Everything that America agreed upon according to the Islamabad meeting is present in this plan. We are talking about a set of demands that no Iranian can exceed."
Official Iranian media reported explosions late Sunday night on Qeshm Island at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian Electricity Company "Tawanir" also denied the occurrence of any cyber attack or outage in the electricity network in the capital, Tehran.
The Iranian IRNA agency said that after some news and speculation spread about the possibility of a cyberattack on the electricity network in the capital following the incident that occurred at the Tehran refinery, the “Tawanir” company came out to deny the reports of a cyberattack.
Technical investigations indicate that the accident that occurred at the Tehran refinery was related to the internal operations and facilities of this industrial complex, and has nothing to do with the national electricity grid or the operation of the electricity distribution network in the capital.
An official in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy stated that navigation support systems in the southern Strait of Hormuz were destroyed.
The unnamed official told Iranian state media on Monday that no unauthorized ships passed through this sea lane during Sunday night.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday, Sunday, that negotiations with Iran had made only minimal progress, and that he did not see any imminent breakthrough, adding that Trump preferred a diplomatic solution.
Rubio described Iran's demands as "unacceptable" and, at times, "outrageous, ridiculous and completely unrealistic."
The White House agenda showed that President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with the Prime Minister of Qatar at the White House on Monday, while the conflict with Iran continues and diplomatic efforts to end it face major obstacles.
Trump is scheduled to meet Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, who also serves as Qatar's foreign minister, in a closed meeting. A US official said that Vice President J.D. Vance is also scheduled to meet with the Prime Minister of Qatar.
Qatar played a pivotal role as a mediator between Washington and Tehran, as it conveyed proposals and sought to resolve differences over the Iranian nuclear program and the conditions for ending the conflict.
In a related context, Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic advisor to the Emirati president, said on Monday that his country is not the weakest link in the security equation in the region, stressing that any attack on it will have costs and consequences, and that protecting national sovereignty is a fundamental responsibility that cannot be relied upon on international alliances alone, as he put it.
Gargash indicated, during his participation in the 13th Abu Dhabi Strategic Forum, that Iran will remain a neighbor of the Gulf states, and that common interests and the security of the sea lanes require the continuation of the dialogue, but he stressed that any negotiating path after the war must be based on respect for the sovereignty of countries, non-interference in their internal affairs, and recognition of their security interests.
He stressed that trust between Iran and its neighbors has been damaged, and cannot be restored by political statements alone, but rather requires an actual change in behavior and translating commitments into concrete practices.
Gargash stressed the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz for Gulf economies and global trade, rejecting any attempt to impose Iranian control over an international waterway or using it as a political and economic pressure card, as he described it.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said that the two-day plan proposal presented by Tehran is the most logical among the proposals on the table, explaining that the strong bilateral relations between Iran and Iraq should not be affected, no matter how strong the pressure is.
In terms of international movements to contain the crisis in the Middle East, Zhai Jun met with the Chinese Special Envoy to the Middle East, Ali Bagheri, Deputy Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, during his visit to Iran.
Zhai Jun affirmed China's readiness to push for new progress in bilateral relations with Tehran, stressing that the ongoing and expanding conflict in the Middle East cannot be resolved by force, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.
The statement added that the visit to Iran came within the framework of a tour conducted by the Chinese envoy during this month, which includes Iran, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
For his part, the Director General of the Persian Gulf Department in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muhammad Ali Bey, referred to discussing and discussing the latest developments in the region, especially the situation in Yemen, and the two parties’ emphasis on a political solution to the Yemen crisis, as well as “the views presented regarding the future security system of the region,” according to Fars Agency.
Yesterday, Sunday, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement: “The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen must end as soon as possible through dialogue between the two parties on the basis of the road map agreed upon between them. This requires an immediate cessation of military attacks, a complete end to the siege, and respect for the right of the Yemeni people to self-determination.”
This comes as CNN quoted US President Donald Trump as saying, during a phone call on Sunday, that it was “highly unlikely” that he would order new attacks on Iran as long as talks aimed at ending the conflict were making progress.
The Iranian army announced on Sunday night that an illegal oil tanker caught fire after colliding with a sea mine in the eastern Strait of Hormuz earlier.
The Iranian army said in a statement: “Before noon today, an illegal oil tanker that had turned off its identification systems and was traveling in a prohibited area caught fire after colliding with a sea mine in the eastern Strait of Hormuz.”
The Public Relations Department of the Army Navy confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed to violating ships until any threat has passed.
For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stressed that "the people of our region are as tired of Israel's deception as the American people are."
Araqchi said on the X platform, in response to the US President’s recent statements with CBS: “The US President clearly realized that the overwhelming majority of the American people strongly detest Israel. It seems that he has not yet realized the reason for this issue.”
He added: "It is clear that the Americans are tired of Israel deceiving the American governments and pushing them towards endless wars. They have run out of patience. The same applies to our region."
According to Fars Agency, Trump admitted in an interview with CBS that voters' "dissatisfaction" with the war with Iran, high gasoline prices, and "widespread opposition to Israel" were factors in the Republicans' defeat in the midterm elections.
The head of the Joint Iranian-Qatari Chamber of Commerce, Khurshid Kazdrazi, stated that trade exchange between Iran and Qatar is witnessing remarkable continuity despite the regional challenges and existing trade restrictions, stressing that the flow of Iranian exports to the Qatari market takes place directly and without the need for intermediaries.
In a statement to IRNA, Kazdrazi explained that exports include multiple vital sectors, most notably food, fruits, vegetables, building materials, and metal products. He revealed strong logistical indicators, as between 70 to 75 refrigerated containers are shipped daily from Bushehr Governorate alone to Qatar. He also pointed out that exports have witnessed a tangible boom over the past four months.
