Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that the memorandum of understanding being negotiated with the United States does not include issues related to the management of the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing that the matter should be resolved solely by the littoral states. Baghaei also noted that it is still too early to say that Tehran and Washington are close to reaching an agreement.
Speaking at his weekly press conference, the Iranian diplomat made important remarks regarding the ongoing negotiations with the United States and the draft memorandum currently under discussion. He also clarified Iran’s position on the Strait of Hormuz and regional security matters.
‘The Strait of Hormuz Will Be Managed by Littoral States’
Baghaei stressed that the memorandum would not go into details regarding the status of the Strait of Hormuz, saying:
“The issue of how the Strait of Hormuz should be managed concerns only the littoral countries and must be resolved by them.”
‘We Cannot Say We Are Close to an Agreement’
Commenting on the progress of negotiations with Washington, Baghaei implied that the two sides are still far from reaching a final deal. He stated:
“It is true that we have reached conclusions on many important issues. However, this does not mean that anyone can claim that we are close to signing an agreement.”
Nuclear Program Excluded, Ceasefire on All Fronts on the Table
Providing details about the content of the draft memorandum, the Iranian official confirmed that the text includes a clause aimed at halting conflicts “on all fronts,” including Lebanon. At the same time, Baghaei underlined that Tehran is not currently discussing any issues related to Iran’s nuclear program with Washington.
No Plans for Reciprocal Visits with Pakistan
Addressing other regional diplomatic developments, Baghaei stated that Iran currently has no plans to send a delegation to Pakistan, nor is there any schedule in place to host a new Pakistani delegation in the near future.