Iran demands diplomatic solution to peace after Trump rejects peace plan

I ran on Sunday and insisted that diplomacy is the only way to solve the conflict between Iran and the United States, and Israel after US President Donald Trump rejected an Iranian proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Abbas Araqchi, Iranian Foreign Minister, posted on Twitter: "Our conditions are clear and any movement toward reopening of the Strait of Hormuz depends on meeting these conditions." Only a negotiated resolution can help them get out of the deadlock.

Last week, Iran presented a peace plan at the UN General Assembly meeting in New York. It claimed that the proposal had been sent to the Americans by Qatari mediators. Trump rejected the plan on Saturday, arguing that Iranians were desperate to reach an agreement over the waterway.

Trump told reporters in the White House that "they want to make an agreement to open 'the Hormuz Strait instantly because they are losing so badly."

Araqchi said that despite Trump's public remarks, the mediators who facilitate Iran's discussions with the United States did not convey an official US rejection of the plan.

Araqchi wrote: "We will base our decision on the final views that the mediators convey to us."

The US has imposed an economic blockade against Iran in order to pressure Tehran into stopping Iranian attacks on vessels on the Strait of Hormuz. This has drastically reduced shipping to the area, despite Trump's repeated assertions that the US controls this waterway.

The Wall Street Journal reported first that Trump rejected the Iranian proposal citing anonymous US officials.

Trump told his staff he was not confident that Iran would comply with his demands and that a new bombing campaign is likely to follow the midterm elections in November.

An official from the US had earlier said that discussions with Iran via mediators were "positive" and "constructive".

CONFLICT HAS DROPPED OIL FLOWS AND HARMED THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC

The Iranians engaged their Saudi counterparts in the Strait of Hormuz. This underscored the stakes of the seven-month conflict which has disrupted the oil flow through an important shipping lane, and taken a heavy toll on global economics.

Araqchi, speaking to reporters at the United Nations Friday, said that the proposed agreement would lead to a countdown of seven days until the reopening of the Strait and a stop in the regional fighting.

Araqchi stated that "if the US is serious about reopening the Strait of Hormuz and coming to a deal, then everything is ready." If the US agreed, the warring sides could begin wider discussions "on mutually-agreed subjects."

This could include discussions about Iran's nuclear programme. Trump said that Tehran must not acquire a nuclear bomb. A senior Iranian official stated that Iran will not show any flexibility in its nuclear program, even if US accepts its "peace deal".

The official stated that Iran would not make any concessions regarding its rights including enriching uranium and shipping highly enriched uranium outside of the country.

Masoud Pezeshkian said in an interview on CBS's "Face the Nation" that Tehran is ready to talk about its nuclear program and other issues but will not accept "bullying or pressure".

Pezeshkian stated that Iran "is not looking for war but will defend itself from pressure, threats and attacks" adding that the country had already agreed to "not develop nuclear weapons".

Diplomacy has failed to stop the conflict that began on 28 February with US and Israeli strikes.

Since then, the 'war' has alternated between pauses in the attacks and new ones. Thousands have been killed while degrading Iran’s conventional forces and damaging its already crippled economy.

Iran and its allies have responded by spreading the conflict across the entire region. Iran has used drones and missiles to attack US allies within the Gulf, while its Houthi ally in Yemen targeted Saudi interests.

Yemen's Saudi led coalition announced early Saturday that it had intercepted 2 ballistic missiles & 2 drones launched towards the Kingdom by the Houthis.

(source: Reuters)