Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi don meet Qatari mediators for New York to tok about proposal to reopen Strait of Hormuz, as one US official talk say no agreement to end war go happen unless dem address Tehran nuclear programme.
Araghchi tell Iranian state media on Monday say the Qatari mediators go carry the ideas from the meeting go US, and he hope say Washington final answer go land by Tuesday.
‘We talk about ideas and how to find solutions to fulfil Iran conditions and how to implement those conditions,’ na wetin he talk. ‘Dem get some ideas, and we discuss am, and dem go still present am to American side.’
When dem ask am whether he go stay New York wait for reply, Araghchi talk say he go fly go Tehran within hours. ‘Whenever Qataris get response, dem sabi how to reach us,’ he talk. He describe the meetings as part of existing message exchange through Qatari and Pakistani mediators, and he talk say e don become ‘more serious form’ since Iran submit im proposal.
The Iranian plan, wey dem announce on Friday for United Nations General Assembly for New York City, dey call on US to release frozen Iranian funds, lift sanctions and end naval blockade of Iranian ports. Araghchi talk say those steps fit complete within four or five days, so the strait go reopen and negotiation on final agreement, including Iran nuclear programme, go start by seventh day.
But US President Donald Trump reject the proposal on Saturday. He call am ‘unacceptable’.
One US official wey talk to Al Jazeera talk say indirect discussions still dey go on. The talks dey ‘positive and constructive’, the official talk, but stress say no agreement unless dem address Iran nuclear programme. The official talk say Trump ready to relieve sanctions and release Iran frozen funds if progress happen on nuclear issues. ‘Iran don indicate say dem flexible on nuclear issues, but the sides still remain apart on timing of commitments and who take which steps first,’ the official talk. The official also show scepticism of Iran, talk say Iran don break memorandum of understanding wey dem sign for June by firing on commercial vessels.
Tehran deny the accusation. Iran talk say na Washington break im commitments by failing to stop Israel attacks on Lebanon and by seeking to establish alternate shipping routes through Strait of Hormuz.
Iran had close the strait, wey bin dey handle roughly 20 percent of world oil and gas supplies before war, shortly after US and Israel launch their offensive on February 28. Iranian attacks on vessels since then don sharply curtail shipping, and oil prices don rise above $100 a barrel.
Even so, crude exports from major Middle East producers rebound in September to 12.8 million barrels per day, their highest level since war begin, Reuters report, citing data from maritime intelligence firm Kpler. That still well below 18.8 million bpd wey dem export in February.
Some ships don use US military-supervised route wey dey hug coast of Oman, travel at night with tracking systems off and offload oil to tankers outside the strait. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, talk on Saturday say American forces don assist 2,000 transits and more than 1 billion barrels of oil in recent months.
US also impose blockade on Iranian ports and threaten secondary sanctions against airports and companies wey do business with Iranian airlines. United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Oman don already cancel related flights.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump talk say US officials don also speak with mediators but insist say Washington go prevail. ‘We’re going to win,’ he talk. ‘It’s going to go pretty quickly.’ He add say gas prices go fall once US win the war.
For Tehran, officials strike defiant tone. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, for message marking Iran-Iraq War and Israel killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah for 2024, talk say days of foreign domination don finish. ‘Having suffered painful blows from our valiant combatants and the guardians of Strait of Hormuz, they [the enemy] dare not venture beyond Arabian Sea,’ Khamenei talk for message wey Iranian media carry. ‘Whenever they have risked doing so, they have only inflicted harm upon themselves, and the time is fast approaching when the Arabian Sea, too, will be cleared of their presence.’
Major-General Ali Abdollahi, armed forces chief of staff, warn say Iran and allied forces go deliver ‘decisive and devastating response’ to any threat against country. Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari insist say Strait of Hormuz remain closed and talk say Iranian forces ready to prevent enemy forces from entering country.
