Mohsen Rezaei, an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, has said that US President Donald Trump is “betraying diplomacy for the third time”
by continuing a naval blockade imposed on Iran and making what he described as excessive demands in negotiations, Al Arabiya reported. Rezaei criticised Washington’s approach to the talks, stating, “By continuing the naval blockade and making excessive demands in negotiations, he has once again proven that he is not inclined toward negotiation and is pursuing other objectives.” This comes after Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that no agreement has been finalised with the United States yet and the exchange of messages between the two sides is continuing. Baghaei made the remarks in a telephone interview with state-run IRIB TV, after Trump outlined conditions for a deal with Iran and said he would soon make a decision, Xinhua news agency reported. Baghaei reiterated that Iran's current focus in the negotiations "is on ending the war." "We have no talk on details of the issues pertaining to Iran's uranium enrichment or enriched uranium at this stage," he said. Speaking about the possible re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz, Baghaei said future management of the strait "concerns only Iran and Oman."
What has Trump claimed?
Earlier in the day, in a social media post, the US President outlined his demands, saying, "Iran must agree that they will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb."
"The Hormuz Strait must be immediately open, no tolls, for unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions. All water mines (bombs), if any, will be terminated," Trump said, noting that the US naval blockade "will now be lifted."
He also said Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles will be unearthed by the United States in coordination with Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency and destroyed.
In terms of the financial compensation for the war demanded by Iran, Trump said, "No money will be exchanged, until further notice."
Iran, the United States, and Israel reached a ceasefire on April 8 after 40 days of fighting.
(With agency inputs)
