Tehran: Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday the country’s two-day plan for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is still on the table.
“Our position regarding the negotiations is completely clear and transparent. Iran’s two-day plan per se is indicative of the country’s utmost good faith,” Baghaei said at a weekly press conference in Tehran.
He added the plan is the “most logical proposal” available, stressing that if the United States meets Iran’s demands, the West Asia region will witness the unfolding of positive events within two days and security will be restored.
He emphasised that the United States should really make its decision “if it has correctly understood its people’s message.”
Iran conveyed to the United States a seven-day proposed plan in September to cease hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The country later voiced its readiness to reduce the proposal’s implementation period to two days should Washington meet Tehran’s conditions.
US President Donald Trump said that renewed military strikes on Iran were “highly unlikely” as long as negotiations made progress, but did not rule out further military actions.
In a phone interview with CNN, Trump claimed on Sunday that the United States had already dealt a severe blow to Iran and that further military action was “highly unlikely” to be necessary.
“It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement,” Trump noted, referring to Iran’s nuclear programme and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The president also claimed that the United States had identified potential infrastructure targets in Iran, including power plants and bridges, and could destroy 38 bridges in an hour, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Most likely it will not be necessary,” Trump reiterated. “They want to make a deal so badly.”
Earlier Trump said that Washington was talking to Iran, as his administration imposed sanctions on eight Canadian businesses accused of helping Tehran move money through cryptocurrency networks.
“We’re talking to Iran. We have been,” Trump told reporters before departing the White House.
(IANS)
