Tehran's Hormuz Proposal: Washington Sees Cynical Attempt at Concessions
The dispute between Washington and Tehran over Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz continues, with US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz accusing Iran of making a 'cynical attempt' to gain upfront concessions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi disputed this account, saying his country was prepared to open the strait if the US released frozen assets and allowed Iranian oil sales to resume.
The proposal at the center of the dispute would have paired a Hormuz reopening with resumed nuclear talks in exchange for the US lifting its naval blockade and waiving sanctions on Iranian oil sales.
Waltz said Washington considers Iran to have already violated an earlier US-Iran memorandum of understanding by attacking international shipping, and any eventual agreement would need to address Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium and its capacity to resume enrichment.