Iran is still reviewing a US response to its proposal regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and will reply to Washington via intermediaries when the review is over, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday.
Baghaei also told a press conference that Iran continues to exchange messages via intermediaries, without elaborating. Qatar and Pakistan, among others, have acted as mediators in efforts to end the war that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
After a June interim ceasefire crumbled and on-off strikes resumed, Iran presented its proposal in mid-September and later confirmed receipt of a US response. But the process has since stalled, with Iran’s security chief saying on Sunday that Washington’s response did not sufficiently address Tehran’s seven conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and returning to negotiations.
A central point of disagreement has been Washington’s insistence on addressing Iran’s nuclear programme from the outset. Tehran says negotiations should initially focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war carried about a fifth of the global trade in oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), and restoring security in the waterway.
Regarding the escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis, an Iranian ally, Baghaei reiterated Tehran’s openness to help resolve the crisis through dialogue.
“The issue of Yemen should have been resolved a long time ago with the (UN) roadmap and we had said we would support any agreement reached by Yemenis and Saudis. Our request is that this situation be resolved through dialogue.”
(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom Editing by Gareth Jones, Aidan Lewis)