Tehran offers a deal with Washington – opening Hormuz for ending the blockade

The Associated Press (AP), citing informed regional officials, reported that Iran is seeking to end its control of the Strait of Hormuz, without addressing its nuclear program, in exchange for the US ending its blockade of the country. Senior political and military leaders in Pakistan are continuing their mediation efforts between the US and Iran, with indirect negotiations ongoing despite escalating tensions between the two sides, the AP report added. It said that the new proposal was conveyed to the US via Pakistan, but it is unlikely to gain the support of US President Donald Trump, who seeks to end the Iranian nuclear program within comprehensive agreement that includes the issue of the Strait of Hormuz in order to make the ceasefire permanent. Axios website reported that the proposal entails postponing nuclear negotiations to a later stage, while resolving tensions regarding the Strait of Hormuz and the US blockade with a guarantee of a long-term ceasefire extension or an agreement on a permanent end to the war. Trump said that Iran could contact the US if it wanted to negotiate an end to the war that began nearly two months ago. “The Iranians can come to us, or they can call us if they want to talk, but we’re not going to send people on an 18-hour flight for a meeting,” he said. He added that the US had all the cards on the table, expressing his great respect for Pakistan. “They have made a great effort and will remain engaged, but we will conduct these negotiations by phone,” he said, adding that Iran could contact the US if it wanted to negotiate an end to the war. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Russia on Monday to seek support from the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Upon his arrival in St. Petersburg, Araqchi said that previous negotiations had witnessed significant progress but failed to achieve their objectives due to the unrealistic and excessively demanding approach of the United States. Egypt meanwhile continues its efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region, as Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held a telephone conversation with the US Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkopf, to discuss the progress of the US-Iranian negotiations and efforts to reduce tensions in the region. The post Tehran offers a deal with Washington – opening Hormuz for ending the blockade appeared first on Egypt Independent.