Tehran: Hormuz is the main focus of the talks — the return of IAEA inspectors remains undecided

Iran made clear on Sunday that reopening the Strait of Hormuz is for it the main issue in the talks to end the war with the U.S., while the return of inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to Iran remains still undecided. The spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei, said at a press conference in Tehran that the issue of the inspectors’ return “has not been discussed among Iran’s senior leadership”, as Al Jazeera reports.

According to Baghaei, the U.S. proposal to end the war is similar to the previous ones — centred on Iran’s nuclear file — while Tehran wants first to address the reopening of Hormuz. “At this stage we are focusing mainly on the strait, and our main concern is to reach a solution and restore peace and stability within this waterway,” Baghaei said. He added that the U.S. must take “some tangible measures”, and that “above all, the sanctions imposed by the U.S. must be lifted”.

Baghaei attributed the blockage of the peace process to the “fluctuation and instability of the American decision-making process”, saying this is reflected in “their contradictory statements as well as their fluctuating demands”. “This is a problem not only for Iran, but for all countries that deal with the U.S. These countries are openly complaining about the crisis,” he said. He also warned that “no nation should allow its territory to be used for attacks against Iran”, and claimed that “the U.S. failed to turn Iran into an isolated country”.

On the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the U.S. that “there is no military solution” to the war. “If our enemies again choose the path of military confrontation, our response will be stronger than before,” Araghchi said, adding that there is not even a “solution based on new sanctions”. Nevertheless, he stressed that Tehran is “serious about finding diplomatic solutions”: “We are ready to reach a just solution through diplomatic channels, and at the same time we are prepared to defend ourselves.”

Baghaei added that Iran used the UN General Assembly last month to give world leaders its position, and called on neighbouring countries “to respect the principles of good relations”, saying Iran is committed to the same and expects reciprocity. The statements come as the head of the Iranian parliament has called for a seven-day plan to reopen Hormuz, on which he said Washington has sent “some proposals through mediators”.