Mediators Push Iran on Nuclear Concessions to Revive US Talks
The push comes after President Donald Trump turned down an Iranian offer of a seven-day ceasefire that would have reopened the Strait of Hormuz and lifted the US blockade of Iranian ports, the Journal said.
Mediators characterized the effort as a long shot. Tehran has so far signaled little willingness to discuss its nuclear program.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that Iran remains open to negotiations but will answer any renewed military action.
"We are fully prepared for the war to resume," Araghchi told media when asked about the Journal report.
"We stand firm in the face of any new aggression, even if it comes to a doomsday war. But at the same time we stand ready for diplomacy. It is up to President Trump to choose," he added.
Arab mediators said Iran has offered no concessions since Trump rejected its ceasefire proposal. Gulf officials said Tehran wants Washington to make concessions first before talks can advance.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, whose country is passing messages between Washington and Tehran, said the conflict is growing harder to resolve.
"This conflict is very complex," he said, earlier in New York at a special UN General Assembly edition of the Qatar Economic Forum.
Iran wants Washington to return to a memorandum of understanding reached in June. That deal called for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and eventually starting nuclear negotiations, in exchange for measures including sanctions relief, the unfreezing of billions of dollars in Iranian funds held overseas and an end to the US blockade.
US officials, however, said Trump no longer wants to return to that agreement. Washington has tightened sanctions and kept its blockade in place.
A senior Middle Eastern official involved in the talks said Iran could compromise on its nuclear program but would need explicit assurances that Israel would not attack again after any US-Iran agreement.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any
responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos,
licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues
related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
