UNITED NATIONS:
Iran has announced that it has presented a comprehensive proposal to the United States, outlining a pathway to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz within seven days, provided that specific conditions are fulfilled.
Speaking to journalists on Friday at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi revealed that a concrete blueprint for reopening the vital waterway had been transmitted to Washington through Qatari intermediaries.
According to the Foreign Minister, the seven-day countdown would commence the moment the United States accepts the proposal. The framework requires Washington to undertake a series of preparatory measures, an endeavor estimated to require four to five days. Under this timeline, the strait would be reopened on the sixth day, paving the way for definitive bilateral negotiations between the United States and Iran on the seventh.
Minister Araghchi emphasized that the prerequisites demanded of the United States are not novel; rather, they are enshrined within the memorandum of understanding signed by the heads of state of both nations last June.
He asserted that should the United States display genuine commitment toward reaching an accord and restoring transit through the Hormuz passage, all necessary preparations on Iran’s part are already complete.
Nevertheless, the Iranian diplomat made it unequivocally clear that Tehran will reject any form of coercion, intimidation, or duress, and will never compromise its sovereign rights under the weight of pressure.
On June 18, the United States and Iran had signed a landmark memorandum of understanding aimed at ending ongoing hostilities across all regional fronts, including Lebanon. The accord stipulated that talks toward a final settlement would be held within sixty days. However, in the wake of escalating tensions between the two nations in recent times, the current trajectory of these negotiations remains shrouded in uncertainty.
(RSS/AP)
