Washington and Tehran have been swapping proposals in an effort to end the conflict, which the US and Israel launched on February 28, but they have held only a single round of talks despite a fragile ceasefire.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a news briefing that exchanges were “continuing through the Pakistani mediator”.
Baqaei defended Iran’s demands, including the release of Iranian assets frozen abroad and the lifting of long-standing sanctions.
He also defended an Iranian stipulation that the US pay war reparations, describing the conflict as “illegal and baseless”.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that speaking to the US in search of a deal was not to be viewed negatively.
He wrote on X: “Dialogue does not mean surrender. The Islamic Republic of Iran enters into dialogue with dignity, authority, and the preservation of the nation’s rights, and will under no circumstances retreat from the legal rights of the people and the country.
“With logic and with all our strength, to the point of sacrificing our lives, we will remain in service of the people and safeguard the interests and dignity of Iran.”
On the possibility of another military confrontation, Baqaei said Iran was “fully prepared for any eventuality”.
Yesterday, Iran’s Fars news agency said Washington had presented a five-point list, which included a demand for Iran to keep only one nuclear site in operation and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the US.
The US had refused to release “even 25%” of Iran’s frozen assets or pay any reparations for war damage, Fars said.
The report said the US had also made clear it would only cease hostilities when Tehran engaged in formal peace negotiations.
In an earlier proposal, which was sent last week, Iran had called for an end to the war on all fronts, including Israel’s campaign in Lebanon, as well as a halt to a US naval blockade on Iranian ports.
- AFP
