Iran rejects America's efforts to direct negotiations towards the nuclear issue and provides "advice" to neighboring countries

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said on Sunday that Iran had provided “clear responses to the American proposals through the Qatari mediator in Doha, rejecting what Tehran described as Washington’s attempt to “direct the talks towards the nuclear file.” Baghaei added that “restoring security in the Strait of Hormuz requires taking concrete steps on the part of America, including a complete cessation of interference in Iranian commercial shipping, lifting all unilateral and recently imposed sanctions, and ending military intervention.”

In response to a question during his press conference regarding some allegations that Iran had raised, in its proposal to the United States, the issue of IAEA inspectors inspecting nuclear facilities in exchange for easing economic sanctions, Baghaei said: “No, such a matter has not been raised at all.” Ismail Baghaei explained: “We did not basically enter into a discussion about the nuclear file versus sanctions.

Our duty was to communicate our conditions, and we conveyed these conditions to the mediators within the framework of the scheme known as (the Seven-Day Scheme), and they in turn carried out their tasks in conveying them to the American side. The Iranian spokesman added: “Our advice to all neighboring countries is to respect the right of neighborliness.

We are committed to the principle of good neighbourliness, and in return we expect neighboring countries to adhere to this principle as well, and not allow their capabilities and territories to be exploited by parties that have proven in practice that they do not care about the security of the countries of the region,” he was quoted by the official Iranian IRNA news agency. Ismail Baghaei added: “We quickly and clearly expressed our dissatisfaction with the countries of the region, especially those countries that placed their lands and capabilities at the disposal of America and the Zionist entity during the military aggression.

We take every opportunity to emphasize this demand, and we remind it of its international responsibilities resulting from participation in the aggressive actions of America and the Zionist entity. We had good meetings and talks with almost all the countries of the southern bank of the Gulf on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting.”

On Sunday, Iran reiterated that it would not give up its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, in the absence of any indications that the diplomatic dispute between the United States and Iran was soon settled. US President Donald Trump rejected the latest proposal presented by Iran - which stipulates opening this vital waterway in exchange for the United States meeting some conditions, including easing sanctions and releasing frozen Iranian assets - but the mediators continue their efforts to keep the negotiations going.

The government’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said: “The position of the Islamic Republic of Iran is completely clear and consistent: The Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened unless our seven conditions based on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding are met.” Ghalibaf's statements came after another tanker was targeted in the Strait of Hormuz, according to what was reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), in at least the third incident in the past few days.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Authority stated that the captain of the tanker (whose name was not revealed) reported that it was targeted by a missile of unknown origin, causing damage to the engine room. An American official told the Ofoq News network last Monday that Trump is ready to ease sanctions on Iran and release the frozen funds as part of a final agreement, but on the condition that Tehran makes “tangible progress” on the nuclear file.

Ghalibaf said, in statements reported by the semi-official Fars News Agency, that the United States must realize that “the era of procrastination and dictating unilateral demands has passed... We are strongly engaged in the military field and will confront the enemy with new surprises, while using diplomacy at the same time, to consolidate our superiority on the battlefield.”