Iran and the US have been negotiating to end the war in the Middle East, and according to Iranian diplomacy, there has been agreement on several issues. However, according to the official statement, this does not yet mean that Tehran is close to signing the agreement.
“It is correct to say that we have reached conclusions on a large part of the discussed issues,” said the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmáíl Bakájí, at a press conference. “However, to say that this means that the signing of the agreement is within reach – no one can say that,” he added.
Finalization of the agreement
His comments came after Iran announced it was finalizing a 14-point framework agreement to end the war with the US that broke out on February 28. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a deal could be struck on Monday, with US President Donald Trump telling his negotiators to “take their time”.
A spokesman for Iranian diplomacy emphasized that the draft document “is aimed at ending the war” in the entire region, including Lebanon. He reiterated that details of Iran’s nuclear program were not included in the document. According to him, this issue will be discussed only when both parties agree to the framework of the agreement.
Strait of Hormuz and tolls
Bakájí confirmed that the agreement also focuses on the Strait of Hormuz. “The steps taken by the US under the pretext of a naval blockade must end, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will also take the necessary measures to ensure safe transit in the Strait of Hormuz,” he declared.
Shipping through a key global shipping route has been under Iranian control since the war broke out. Tehran allows only a few ships to pass through the strait and insists that they first obtain permission from its armed forces, AFP recalls.
According to Bakají, Tehran “does not seek to collect the toll”. “The services provided – navigation services in addition to measures necessary to protect the environment in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman – require the collection of certain fees,” the spokesman said.
