After closing Strait of Hormuz again on Saturday, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said control over the Strait of Hormuz would include payment of costs related to security, safety and environmental protection services, according to state media.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Tehran cannot use the strait as leverage in its dealings with Washington. Trump said Iran can’t “blackmail” Washington using Strait of Hormuz.
Fresh round of face-to-face talks?
Iran is not ready to move to a fresh round of face-to-face talks with the United States, a senior Iranian official said on Saturday, citing Washington’s refusal to drop what Tehran described as “maximalist” demands on key issues.
Speaking to The Associated Press on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum in Turkiye, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said Iran would not transfer its enriched uranium to the United States, rejecting remarks made by US President Donald Trump.
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“I can tell you that no enriched material is going to be shipped to United States,” Khatibzadeh said. “This is non-starter and I can assure you that while we are ready to address any concerns that we do have, we’re not going to accept things that are non-starters.”
On Friday, Trump said the United States would go into Iran and “get all the nuclear dust,” referring to the 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium believed to be buried at nuclear sites damaged by US strikes last year.
Also read | Iran reimposes ‘strict control’ on Strait of Hormuz amid continued US blockade
Khatibzadeh said there have been multiple exchanges of messages between Tehran and Washington but accused the United States of maintaining positions Iran considers excessive.
“We are still not there yet to move on to an actual meeting because there are issues that the Americans have not yet abandoned their maximalist position,” he said, adding that Iran is seeking the finalisation of a “framework agreement” before any in-person meeting.
The Iranian official did not specify the outstanding issues but called on the United States to address Tehran’s concerns, including sanctions.
“The other sides also should understand and address our main concerns, which are illegal unilateral sanctions that Americans have imposed on Iranians and this economic terrorism which has targeted Iranian people to suffocate them and make them to revolt against the political structure inside Iran,” Khatibzadeh said.
Responding to questions on regional tensions, Khatibzadeh said Iran would act if attacks by Israel on Lebanon resumed despite the ceasefire.
“Iran has no option, just to stop aggressors once and forever,” he said.
Trump said Israel is “prohibited” by the US from further strikes on Lebanon and that “enough is enough” in the Israel-Hezbollah war.
(With AP inputs)
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