IRAN WAR UPDATES: Iran proposes to reopen Strait of Hormuz without nuclear agreement
· Toronto Sun
Iran has offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz without addressing its nuclear program, officials said Monday.
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Iran also wants the United States to end its blockade of the country as part of its proposal, according to two regional officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, was in Russia on Monday for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin as part of a trip that included two stops in Pakistan and a visit to Oman, which shares the strait with the Islamic Republic.
Pakistan-led mediators are working to bridge significant gaps between the U.S. and Iran, according to a regional official involved in the mediation efforts who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.
Early Monday, the U.S. military’s Central Command said it has so far turned around 38 ships during the blockade.
Here’s the latest on the Iran war on Monday:
Iran offers proposal to U.S.
Iran is offering to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz without addressing its nuclear program, two regional officials said Monday.
Iran also wants the United States to end its blockade of the country as part of its proposal, according to the two officials.
The new proposal, passed on to the U.S. by Pakistan, is not likely to receive the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump, who wants to end Iran’s atomic program as part of an overall deal including the Strait of Hormuz to make the ceasefire permanent.
“We have all the cards. If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us,” Trump told Fox News Channel on Sunday.
Axios first reported Iran’s proposal.
Iran says Russia trip opportunity to coordinate after war
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his trip to Russia offered an opportunity to coordinate with Moscow after the war with Israel and the United States.
“It is a good opportunity for us to consult with our Russian friends about the developments that have occurred in relation to the war during this period and what is happening now,” he said in a pre-taped interview posted by the state-run IRNA news agency.
Araghchi said it was America’s approach that “caused the negotiations to be delayed” that had been planned in Islamabad.
“The previous one, despite the progress that had been made, could not achieve its goals,” he said, blaming what he called Washington’s “excessive demands.”
Trump has questioned who is in charge in Iran at the moment and said confusion within its theocracy made it difficult to reach a deal.
— With files from The Associated Press