ABNA24 - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said Tuesday that Tehran did not request negotiations with the United States over the past 15 days, during an interview with IRINN’s Iran Time program.
According to Gharibabadi, it was the US side that had requested dialogue with Tehran, revealing that Washington had conveyed to Iran through Oman that it would not carry out any military action against the Islamic Republic.
He also warned that any European warship attempting to approach the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a legitimate target.
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Gharibabadi said Iran had proposed negotiations with Oman over a temporary route through the waterway, adding that Omani officials proposed establishing a route in which control would be equally divided between Muscat and Tehran.
Tehran rejected the proposal, he said, arguing that it would not address Iran's security concerns.
"We do not recognize the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz for even a single hour," Gharibabadi said, adding that Iran's proposal was for one route through the strait to be placed entirely under Iranian control, while Iran would also control part of the other route.
Gharibabadi stressed that Iran's current dialogue was limited to Oman and solely concerned the Strait of Hormuz, saying Tehran was not engaged in negotiations with the US or with mediators.
He said that during the blockade, Iran had been able to secure a large portion of its goods through various routes, but warned that closing the Strait of Hormuz puts pressure on almost the entire world.
"The maritime blockade cannot force Iran into negotiations," Gharibabadi said, adding that if Oman did not accept Iran's proposal concerning the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway would remain closed and Iran would be prepared to resume the war.
Gharibabadi called for ending the cycle of war, ceasefire, and negotiations, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged stronger regional cooperation to restore stability and address tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, which he blamed on US actions.
The remarks came after a pause in US strikes on Iran, though the Strait remains closed.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Central Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters warned that any US use of frozen Iranian assets to compensate ship damages would face consequences, including restrictions on vessels linked to countries and companies supporting the move from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
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