26/05/18
Iran says diplomacy, negotiations continue
Dubai, 18 May (Argus) — Iran's foreign ministry has said negotiations with
Washington aimed at ending the war are continuing, even as US President Donald
Trump issues increasingly incendiary rhetoric towards Tehran. Trump last week
described Tehran's response to a US plan to end the war was "totally
unacceptable" and a "piece of garbage" that he did not finish reading. He said
the ceasefire, which has been in place since 8 April, was "on life support." At
the weekend, Trump issued new threats against Tehran, saying "the clock is
ticking" and that Iran had "better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything
left of them." On Monday, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei
dismissed Washington's framing of the negotiations. "After we presented our
14-point plan, the American side raised its concerns. In return, we also raised
our concerns," he said. "And last week, despite the American side publicly
announcing that the plan was rejected, we still received a set of amendments via
our Pakistani mediators." Iran's latest response to the US was sent on Sunday 17
May, he said, and "the process continues through Pakistan." Iran's nuclear
activities remain the foremost sticking point between the sides, with Trump
repeatedly insisting Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. Iranian
state media on Sunday published five conditions the US has set for Iran to
secure a deal, including the shuttering of all but one nuclear facilities, and
the transfer of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the US. Baghaei
today would not be drawn on the US proposals, but reiterated Iran's right to
enrich uranium is protected as a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty
(NPT), and is therefore up for neither negotiation nor compromise. Planning for
Hormuz The unresolved situation means shipping is still disrupted through the
strait of Hormuz. Trump has over the past two months repeatedly claimed
agreements with Iran that he said should restore at least some traffic through
the strait. But little has changed since the start of the war, prompting
Washington to impose last month a blockade of its own on vessels travelling to
and from Iranian ports. Argus reported in April that Iran's parliament was
discussing a bill to formalise and govern Tehran's oversight and management of
traffic through the strait. At that point, the bill had secured the approval
from parliament's national security council, but had not been brought to
parliament. Speaking at the weekend, Ebrahim Azizi, head of parliament's
national security council, said this framework "to manage traffic in the strait"
had been prepared, and would "be unveiled soon." "Under this framework, only
commercial vessels and parties co-operating with Iran can benefit from it,"
Azizi said. The route will be closed to operators of Project Freedom, he said,
referring a US operation to support vessels stranded in the Mideast Gulf to exit
through the strait. Speaking on Monday, Baghaei said Iran is "in continuous
contact with Oman and other relevant countries" as it develops this new
mechanism. Iranian and Omani experts met on the matter last week, he said. By
Nader Itayim Send comments and request more information at
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