New York [US], September 28 (ANI): The US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz on Sunday (local time) said that the United States rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz because Tehran sought sanctions relief and access to “billions in frozen assets” before negotiations on its nuclear programme.
“They were asking for everything up front, with a promise that they would then talk,” Waltz said on CNN’s “State of the Union” when asked what US President Donald Trump objected to.
In a separate interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press”, Waltz called the proposal “a pretty cynical attempt to put something on the table that they knew was unacceptable.” He said the US would ultimately need to reach “some type of agreement” with Iran, but Trump would keep all "options on the table".
Waltz said that the seven-day proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz came with a “request to have access to billions in frozen funds and a request for the lifting of sanctions”.
“These aren’t just the United States’s sanctions,” Waltz said. “These are global sanctions. It’s worth reminding people that this is the world’s position.”
Waltz also referred to Iran’s nuclear programme, saying that “there has been not one, not two, but seven UN Security Council resolutions over the last 20 years saying Iran cannot and should not have a nuclear weapons programme”.
He added that the International Atomic Energy Agency had referred Iran to the Security Council “for violations”, including Tehran’s refusal to allow inspectors into the country and provide “proper oversight of their enrichment”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi later disputed Waltz’s account of the proposal in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press”.
“I am surprised that the ambassador is talking about a seven-day plan, as he has not read it,” Araghchi said. “Maybe he has not been given a copy.”
Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump expressed confidence that the conflict with Iran will be won "very soon," while acknowledging that fresh military strikes ahead of the US midterm elections are "possible."
Speaking to Fox News on the sidelines of the PGA Tour Presidents Cup on Sunday (local time), Trump said that an end to the confrontation would cause global oil prices to fall sharply, reiterating that denying Tehran a nuclear weapon is the primary American objective.
"I think what's going to happen is we're going to win this war very soon, and as soon as we win it, the oil will go down, way down to what it was before the war," Trump told Fox News.
When asked specifically whether military strikes could resume before the upcoming midterm elections, Trump declined to take the option off the table.
"I don't want to say that. I don't want to say that. I mean, it's possible, but I just don't want to say that," Trump said.
Emphasising the core focus of US policy, he added, "And the key is, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon," noting that nuclear deterrence was "key to the whole thing."
When asked about 'Operation Economic Outcast' and whether the US is succeeding through military pressure or economic sanctions, Trump asserted that the US is making progress on both fronts.
"I think both. I think we'll win it both ways. We've already won it really from a military standpoint," Trump said, adding, "But that doesn't mean we've stopped that."
In the NBC interview, Araghchi said that Iran remained ready for diplomacy while warning that Tehran was prepared for renewed hostilities.
“We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed. We stand firm in the face of any new aggression, even if it comes to a doomsday war. We don’t care about U.S. midterm elections. We care about our national interests. At the same time, we stand ready for diplomacy. It is up to President Trump to choose,” he said.
Araghchi also said Trump’s rejection had not been formally communicated to Tehran through designated diplomatic channels and reiterated that Iran remained willing to reopen the maritime corridor as part of a negotiated settlement.
“We want our monies, our assets, which are illegally frozen, to be released. We want to be able to sell our oil,” Araghchi said, adding that these terms mirrored a Memorandum of Understanding signed in June for a temporary ceasefire, which later collapsed following reciprocal strikes.
“If you ask us, there is no reason why we should go back to diplomacy,” Araghchi said. “But I am still trying diplomacy because I think we shouldn’t miss any chance for peace.”
With the Iranians holding firm in the face of Trump's threat of annihilation and his rejection of the peace overture, the heat in West Asia is likely to get more intense once the US mid-term elections get done and dusted. (ANI)
Rejected Iran’s Hormuz proposal over “billions in frozen assets” demand: US Ambassador to UN Mike Waltz
