TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Iran-US talks were continuing through Qatari mediators, but Washington must lift its naval blockade before any agreement.
Baghaei said Tehran had conveyed its demands and that the “ball is in the US court”. He linked any agreement to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi visited Doha to help the two sides exchange messages through Qatar, Baghaei added. Iranian negotiators left Doha on Sunday.
However, an official briefed on the discussions told Reuters that the departure did not mean talks had run into trouble. A draft proposal was circulating, the official added.
Tehran has proposed a faster two-day process for carrying out its existing plan, rather than the previous seven-day timetable. No final agreement has been announced.
Read: Iran’s Khamenei Warns US and Israel Against New Attacks
On the nuclear issue, Baghaei ruled out sending Iran’s enriched uranium abroad. He said Tehran had yet to discuss conditions for renewed inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
US President Donald Trump said in a podcast released Monday that Washington had held back from further attacks because Tehran wanted to talk. Still, he left the prospect of military action open. Trump also insisted that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons.
Read: Iran War Could Widen if US Resumes Strikes, Experts Warn
Russia’s foreign ministry expressed extreme concern over reports of possible new attacks on Iran and called for stronger diplomatic efforts.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged a political solution during a meeting with Iranian national security official Ali Bagheri Kani.
Read: US Orders Staff to Leave Saudi Arabia Over Houthi Attacks
Separately, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker was hit by two unidentified projectiles near the Saudi port of Ras Al Khafji late on Sunday. The agency did not identify who fired the projectiles.
With input from Iran International and Anadolu Agency
