Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, today responded to the claim made by the U.S. Secretary of Defense regarding negotiations with Iran. He stated, "Apparently, we have a different understanding of what negotiations mean. From our perspective, real negotiations have not yet begun."
Claim by the U.S. Secretary of Defense
Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, claimed yesterday that Donald Trump gave Iran every opportunity to resolve the issue through negotiation, threatening that he would not allow this situation to continue without reason. Hegseth also noted that Iran wants to play with issues like the Strait of Hormuz and added that Tehran must make the right choice.
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Response from Iranian Officials
Iran has recently proposed a seven-day reopening plan for the Strait of Hormuz to the U.S. side. In response to these claims, Ismail Baqaei, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, today answered a question about the U.S. response to Iran's seven-day plan, stating that the proposals made by the Americans are more or less in line with their previous positions and specifically relate to nuclear issues. He added, "We have explicitly stated that our focus at this stage is on the Strait of Hormuz, and securing this waterway requires specific steps from the U.S. side."
During recent meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, no negotiations took place between Iran and the U.S., and messages were only exchanged through intermediaries. This indicates the unwillingness of both parties to establish direct communication under the current circumstances.
Positioning of Abbas Araghchi
Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister, stated in a meeting with ambassadors and heads of foreign missions in Tehran, "If the enemies choose to take the path of military confrontation again, they will receive a stronger response than before, but if they seek diplomatic solutions, we remain ready to reach a fair and honorable resolution to end this war through diplomatic means."
These statements by Araghchi come at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are escalating, and both sides are trying to strengthen their positions against each other. It seems that these tensions are particularly intensifying regarding nuclear issues and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
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