Foreign Minister Araghchi says terms already covered in ceasefire MOU

Plan conveyed to US through Qatar

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi holds a press conference at UN headquarters in New York on Friday (local time). [Xinhua]
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi holds a press conference at UN headquarters in New York on Friday (local time). [Xinhua]

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday (local time) that Iran had presented the United States with a so-called "seven-day plan" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, adding that normal shipping traffic could resume within seven days if the necessary conditions were met.

Speaking to reporters at UN headquarters in New York, Araghchi said Iran had conveyed the specific plan to Washington through Qatar. "If the necessary conditions are met, transit through the Strait of Hormuz can resume, and normal maritime traffic can be restored within seven days," he said.

Through the plan, Iran signaled that it was prepared to reopen the strait and resume follow-up negotiations if the US accepted the conditions.

"The choice now rests with the United States," Araghchi said. "Iran will not accept coercive threats or intimidation, and will not abandon its sovereign rights under pressure."

Asked when Iran expected a response, Araghchi said the seven-day clock would start immediately if the US accepted the plan on Sunday.

"There are specific steps the United States needs to take," he said. "We believe these steps can be taken within four to five days."

"On the sixth day, the strait would be opened, and on the seventh day, dialogue with the United States on mutually agreed topics would finally begin," he added.

Araghchi said the steps required of the US were not new. "They are all already contained in the MOU and are already under US commitment, so there should be no difficulty in implementing them," he said.

The US and Iran signed a ceasefire MOU in June and entered into follow-up negotiations, but the agreement in effect collapsed during the implementation phase.

The MOU included provisions for easing sanctions on Iran, unfreezing Iranian assets, and halting military operations in the Middle East, including Lebanon.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com