Iran has received a new United States draft proposal and is reviewing it
By Bernard Moerdler,
Iran has received a new United States draft proposal and is reviewing it, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated. In an interview with state broadcaster IRIB on Wednesday, Baghaei stated, "Based on the original text of Iran's 14 points, the exchange of messages has been carried out on several occasions. We have received the views of the American side, and we are reviewing them." Baghaei stated that the visit of Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsen Naqvi to Tehran, his second in less than a week, was intended to facilitate the exchange of messages and provide clarification on the draft proposals exchanged between the two sides.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing a source close to Iran's negotiating team, stated that Washington sent the new draft proposal through Pakistan after Tehran submitted its 14-point proposed plan three days ago. According to the source, the Pakistani mediator is in Tehran seeking to bring the two sides' drafts closer, although nothing has been finalised.
Baghaei stated that Iran's framework is focused on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, and includes demands that frozen Iranian assets be released and that the United States end what he called "maritime piracy" against Iranian shipping. He also stated that Iran is seeking, in cooperation with Oman, to establish what he described as a mechanism to guarantee "lasting security" in the Strait of Hormuz, a stated objective Tehran has pursued in parallel with its declared assertion of control over the waterway and the establishment of a Persian Gulf Strait Authority to vet and tax shipping. President Masoud Pezeshkian stated, "All paths remain open from our side. Forcing Iran to surrender through coercion is nothing but an illusion." There has been no immediate response from Washington.
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon & Hezbollah
Reported by Bernard Moerdler for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.