TEHRAN — The Strait of Hormuz is at the center of Iran’s negotiations aimed at ending the war with the United States, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Sunday. He called on Washington to take specific steps to restore security to the strategic waterway.“Securing the Strait of Hormuz, or restoring security to this waterway, requires specific steps from the American side,” Baqaei told a news briefing, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.“This issue has been discussed many times, including stopping interference with Iranian commercial shipping, ending sanctions, and other interventionist measures,” he added.Baqaei said the latest US proposal to end the conflict was largely similar to previous proposals, with Washington continuing to focus on Iran’s nuclear program.“We will conduct the necessary investigations regarding some details and will also reflect our supplementary points to the other party,” he said.The spokesman also said Iran’s top leadership had not discussed allowing inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to return to the country.The United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on Feb. 28. Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region and closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies. The US military later imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.Efforts to end the conflict have continued since a June framework agreement aimed at paving the way for a final settlement covering navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.
Keep Up to Date with our Weekly Newsletter
