• Tehran says US pressure doesn’t work; ties reopening of Hormuz to end of naval blockade• Washington unveils fresh Iran-related sanctions; claims Iranian sea mines have been cleared• Mediators push efforts to revive stalled peace process; China urges return to negotiations
TEHRAN: Iran has signalled it remains open to diplomacy with the United States, six months into a war that has upended the Middle East, but insisted negotiations would not resume unless Washington abandoned its campaign of economic pressure.
“Putting diplomacy back on track isn’t impossible. It hinges on US understanding of one simple fact: pressure doesn’t work,” Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, wrote on X on Friday. He said Washington needed to “build trust, speak respectfully, acknowledge our rights and uphold commitments”.
Pakistan and Qatar are among the mediators attempting to bring an end to the conflict, which was launched by the US and Israel in late February. An April ceasefire brought the most intense fighting to a halt, and the sides signed a memorandum in June setting out a path towards a final peace agreement.
However, the MoU collapsed because both Washington and Tehran accused each other of breaking the ceasefire terms and failing to honour their commitments.
