(Johannesburg·Seoul=Yonhap News) Correspondent Song Jin-won, Na Confirmed Correspondent = Iran has repeatedly stated that it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz unless the conditions it has demanded from the United States are met.
Reuters reported on the 4th (local time) that Iran's state-run Noor News quoted Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, head of Iran's war negotiations, as saying.
Chairman Ghalibaf said, "The United States, which is being talked about in the media, recently put forward a proposal through a mediator. However, they must understand that the era of dragging out the process and imposing unilateral demands is over."
“The position of the Islamic Republic of Iran is completely clear and firm, and the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until our seven conditions based on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) are met,” Ghalibaf said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also met with ambassadors and diplomats from various countries in Tehran on the same day, saying that Iran had clearly explained to the United States the conditions for reopening the strait, and that these conditions were linked to promises that the United States must accept.
Minister Araghchi said, “If the proposed plan to resolve the dispute with the United States is accepted, it could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within seven days.”
Iran also said it hoped the U.S. would choose a diplomatic solution, but warned that Iran was ready to respond if the U.S. chose military action again.
“There is no solution based on a military solution or additional sanctions. Only a solution based on negotiation, justice, fairness and diplomatic respect can provide an effective and clear solution to end this war,” Araghci said. “If they move toward a military solution again, we are more prepared than before and will take whatever steps are necessary to defend ourselves.”
U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Massoud Fezeshikian signed an MOU containing a roadmap for ending the war last July through Pakistan's mediation.
This tentative agreement collapsed as differences of opinion over control of the Strait of Hormuz were reaffirmed, leading to repeated armed conflicts, and negotiations reached a deadlock.
Afterwards, Iran proposed a '7-day trust-building plan' to the United States at the UN General Assembly last month.
According to foreign media, Iran proposed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States fulfills seven conditions, including lifting the U.S. maritime blockade, immediate return of frozen funds, exemption from sanctions on Iranian crude oil exports, and cessation of fighting on all fronts.
Minister Araghchi met with mediators in Doha, Qatar, on the 29th of last month and received a response from the United States on this proposal.
In relation to this, Esmail Bagai, spokesman for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on this day that Iran had conveyed Iran's position regarding the United States' response to mediators.
Spokesperson Bagai explained, “The US proposal was similar to the previous war,” adding, “The US focuses on the nuclear issue, while Iran wants to focus on the Strait of Hormuz.”
He added that he will review some additional matters and deliver a specific position later.
Spokesperson Bagai explained, however, that the issue of the return of IAEA inspectors was not discussed.
Spokesperson Bagai said that the ongoing discussions within Iran over the possibility of withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) are at a serious level, and argued that Iran should enjoy the benefits and rights under the treaty as a signatory to the NPT, and on the contrary, should not continue to be pressured or exposed to the threat of military attack.
A source previously told Reuters that “the key difference between the two sides is the order of implementation of this plan.” This is interpreted to mean that the two countries are engaged in a war of nerves over whether the United States will fulfill the conditions proposed by Iran first or whether Iran will open the Strait of Hormuz first.
