Iran's top negotiator says Tehran has no desire for war to continue

Detailed summary

Iran's top negotiator says Tehran has no desire for war to continue Iran's parliament speaker and head of its negotiating team, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said in an interview with…

Iran's parliament speaker and head of its negotiating team, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said in an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday that Tehran has no desire to continue the war with the US, but the ball is in Washington's court for peace talks.

Ghalibaf said that Iran provided the US with a clear and transparent response outlining its demands, but the Trump administration has not yet reponded.

An agreement with Washington is possible, he added, provided it adheres to what was previously agreed upon and refrains from actions that undermine trust and excessive demands.

He said that Iran is determined to move beyond the state of “no war, no peace” through negotiations or sustainable deterrence, and accused Washington of imposing a siege on the country by blocking access to food and hindering trade and healthcare services.

However, he said that the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its pre-war status, adding that its future would be determined within a seven-point framework proposed by Tehran.

Finally, Ghalibaf told Al Jazeera that the US visited Moscow and asked President Vladimir Putin to speak with Iran to facilitate direct negotiations.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Middle East Eye. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.