TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on May 4 that the US must reduce its demands on the Islamic republic, with negotiations stalling over ending the two-month-long Middle East war.
“At this stage, our priority is to end the war,” he said in a briefing broadcast by state television. “The other side must commit to a reasonable approach and abandon its excessive demands regarding Iran.”
Negotiations between the two countries have been stalled since a ceasefire took effect on April 8, with only one round of direct peace talks held so far.
A key sticking point has been Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel launched strikes on Feb 28, choking off major flows of oil, gas and fertiliser, while the US has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.
But US President Donald Trump said on May 3 that Washington would begin escorting ships through the waterway, drawing threats of attacks from the Iranian military.
“By now, the Americans should have learnt that they cannot use the language of threats and force against the Iranian nation,” Mr Baghaei said.
“The Islamic republic of Iran has shown that it considers itself the guardian and protector of the Strait of Hormuz and this vital waterway.”
Mr Baghaei added that the strait was a “secure and safe route” for international shipping before the war.
“The international community must hold the United States and the Zionist regime accountable for imposing insecurity on this waterway and for creating problems that are being felt across the world,” he said, referring to Israel.
He told state television, before Mr Trump announced an escort plan, that Tehran had submitted a 14-point proposal “focused on ending the war”, and that Washington had responded in a message to Pakistani mediators. AFP
