New Delhi: A major diplomatic stir has come to light amid the ongoing tension in the Middle East. Iran has presented a new proposal to America to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says that if America accepts its three conditions, then this important sea route will be reopened within just seven days, and with this the stalled nuclear talks between the two countries can also be restarted.
According to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, this proposal has been sent to America through Qatar. He says that whatever steps have been demanded in this, they are not completely new, but were part of the agreement reached in the month of June. According to him, as soon as America accepts this proposal, the counting of seven days will start from there.
Three main conditions placed before America
In its proposal, Iran has asked America to take three major steps. The first condition is that the US naval blockade of Iranian ports be completely lifted. The second demand is to provide relief to the restrictions imposed on Iran’s oil exports. And the third condition is that a ceasefire be implemented that also includes Lebanon. Araghchi says that if America wants, it can complete these steps in just four to five days, after which the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened on the sixth day and talks between the two countries will resume on the seventh day.
‘Iran will not bow down to pressure’
According to Reuters report, Abbas Araghchi clearly said that now the entire decision is in the hands of America. He also made it clear that Iran will not accept any kind of pressure, threats or intimidation tactics and will not step back from its sovereign rights. According to him, all the preparations necessary for this agreement are already complete, the only thing that is left is the assent from the US side.
Mentioned also in Trump-Xi meeting
Meanwhile, this crisis in the Middle East was also mentioned in the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to Reuters, Xi Jinping appealed to Trump to return to the earlier agreement with Iran. In fact, the Strait of Hormuz is very important for China, because any interruption in the oil supply passing through here has a direct impact on China’s economy.
Amidst all this diplomatic turmoil, Iranian President Masoud Pejshkian openly appreciated China’s support. He wrote on social media that he was grateful to Xi Jinping for standing in favor of resolving differences through dialogue.
Reason for breakdown of June agreement
It is noteworthy that this new proposal of Iran is very similar to the agreement reached in June, in which an interim period of 60 days was fixed. However, this arrangement did not last long and attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz started again, after which there is a huge lack of trust between the two countries.
According to reports, Saudi Arabia is not completely confident about this new attempt by Iran. Although some Gulf countries had earlier supported resuming talks with Iran, the increasing attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen and attacks on Saudi pipelines have made the situation more complicated. It is noteworthy that before the war started, about 20 percent of the world’s total oil and gas trade used to pass through this sea route, due to which any crisis here directly affects the entire world.