TEHRAN
Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday said it was not currently involved in negotiations with the United States, despite a halt in recent fighting between the two sides. “Mediators may convey messages from the American side to us regarding current developments in the region. But at present, we are not engaged in any negotiations with the United States,” ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a weekly press briefing.
“Claims that Iran has requested negotiations are fabrications that the other side circulates from time to time,” he added. Hostilities resumed between Iran and the United States earlier this month after diplomatic efforts collapsed amid an impasse regarding the Strait of Hormuz. Baqaei criticized the United States, saying its conduct in recent years has “resembled that of a mafia gang that adheres to no rules or laws.”
“So long as such behavior by the United States continues, we cannot be hopeful about the emergence of a reasonable process,” he added. The United States and Iran paused their attacks for a second straight day on Sunday, as efforts continued to bring them back to negotiations on an interim ceasefire deal largely undermined by recent exchanges of fire, as Donald Trump’s UN envoy said the president was “giving talks some space.”
Iran said it had halted retaliatory attacks against Washington’s allies in the Middle East, and US ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told “Fox News Sunday” that, while forces remained “locked and loaded,” Trump would give negotiations “a little bit of room.” Oil prices fell on Asian markets early Monday as investors breathed cautious sighs of relief at the pause in combat.
Prior to Friday, the US military had carried out strikes on Iran for 13 consecutive nights, in the largest rekindling of the almost five-month-old war since an April ceasefire. Friday and Saturday nights passed without bombing. “These attacks continued until two nights ago, but over the past two nights the Americans have stopped their attacks,” said Iran’s army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia.
“Since … our strategy has essentially been retaliatory, we have also halted our retaliatory operations.” Fighting over the strategic Strait of Hormuz derailed diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran, but the conflict then expanded beyond the vital energy corridor to include attacks on US bases, regional shipping and Gulf allies. Unconfirmed Iranian media reports on Sunday said an oil tanker had been damaged by a sea mine.
Tehran in recent days has counterattacked against countries in the region hosting US military forces, killing at least three service members at a base in Jordan and one in Iraq. The 60-day period that began when the interim deal was signed by both countries in mid-June is now well into its second half, and major issues that were meant to be negotiated — notably Iran’s nuclear program at the heart of tensions — remain set aside as mediators try to keep both sides talking.
A regional official involved in mediation efforts said diplomacy was underway and that a pause in US and Iranian strikes was a “positive signal that helps their efforts to de-escalate.” The official said both countries want to return to the interim ceasefire deal and that a compromise being negotiated centers on having Iran run vessel transit through the Strait of Hormuz with fewer restrictions on ships. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Iran on Sunday said it continued to speak with Oman about managing the safe passage of ships on the Strait of Hormuz, which passes between the countries. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said talks had made progress and continued. Baghaei, however, accused Washington of destroying the basis for dialogue by violating a 14-point Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, saying the United States had “betrayed diplomacy” for the third time in a year.
He said Iran had fulfilled its commitments to facilitate safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but accused the US of launching “massive military aggression” and imposing restrictions on shipping shortly after the agreement was signed. Baghaei also said the strait’s status remained unchanged. Tehran has asserted that the interim deal with the US allows it to manage shipping on the waterway for now, and it has objected to US efforts to support a route through the strait that passes close to Oman instead. The strait was considered an international waterway before the war.
The US military on Saturday said its recently reimposed naval blockade against Iran continued, with a dozen commercial ships redirected, two disabled and two boarded. US forces “remain highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready,” it added. Concerns continued about shipping on the strait and now on another crucial waterway in the region, the Bab El-Mandeb strait to the Red Sea. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen last week threatened a blockade of Saudi shipping there.
