Iran stands firm on Hormuz plan after US rejection

TEHRAN

AP Photo

Iran stood firm on Sept. 27 on its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s rejection of the proposal that had created some optimism for breaking the Mideast war stalemate.

The waterway is key to the world’s energy supply and is now central to the conflict between Washington and Tehran, which was triggered nearly seven months ago with deadly strikes on Iran.

Iran’s plan called for a cessation of all hostilities in the Middle East, including in Lebanon, according to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and fulfilling conditions in the ceasefire deal that fell apart months ago.

That agreement, which dissolved during fighting over Hormuz, called for the release of frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil and an end to the US naval blockade.

“Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent upon these conditions being fulfilled. We will not back down from them,” Araghchi said on Sunday, state broadcaster IRIB reported.

“We have never closed the door to diplomacy or negotiations, but at the same time, we have never backed down from our rights.”

But Trump said on Sept. 26 that he rejected the truce deal.

“They want to make a deal where they open the Strait immediately because they’re losing so badly,” he told reporters. “They want to make a deal and I think that’s fine. I like making a deal too.”

Araghchi said on Sept. 27 that the Iranians “saw the first reaction from the U.S. president, but so far, nothing has been conveyed to us by the mediators.”

“We are waiting for the mediators to convey the definitive positions to us, and we will make a decision based on them,” the foreign minister added.

Meanwhile, parents across Riyadh received emails from schools on Sept. 27 announcing a last-minute plan to shift to remote learning for a week.

There was no official reason given but the move comes amid heightened tensions in the Gulf and near-daily attacks aimed at Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen.