Iran firm on Hormuz conditions after rejecting Trump's peace offer: 'Won't back down'
Tehran demands release of frozen assets, lifting of oil sanctions & end of US naval blockade after rejecting Trump's peace proposal. Vital energy route remains flashpoint 7 months after US-Israel attacks on Iran
Tehran (The Uttam Hindu) : Iran has decided not to change its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday.
Iran clarified its stance after rejecting US President Donald Trump's peace proposal. The Strait of Hormuz, a waterway vital to the world's energy supply, has now become the center of the ongoing conflict between Washington and Tehran. This conflict began nearly seven months ago following joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran. According to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Iran's plan included ending all hostilities in the Middle East (including Lebanon) and fulfilling the terms of the ceasefire agreement that broke down months ago.
The agreement, which collapsed during the conflict over Hormuz, called for the release of frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil, and the end of the US naval blockade. "Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening Hormuz will depend on the fulfillment of these conditions. We will not back down from them," Araghchi said on Sunday, according to Iran's state broadcaster IRIB. "We have never closed the doors to diplomacy or dialogue, but at the same time, we have never renounced our rights," he said.
Trump said on Saturday that he rejected a ceasefire deal. Speaking to reporters, the US president said, "They want a deal where they immediately open the Strait because they're facing a very serious defeat. They want a deal, and I think that's fine. I like a deal too." Araghchi said on Sunday that Iranians "saw the first reaction of the US president, but so far we haven't been told anything from the mediators."
Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in June, brokered by Pakistan, aimed at ending the war, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and resuming talks on Iran's nuclear program. But the agreement collapsed shortly thereafter when Iran fired on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, alleging they had deviated from their intended route through the Strait.