A spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran responded to the latest US offer by calling for an end to the war in the region and the return of frozen assets abroad.
“We did not demand any concessions from the Americans. The only thing we demanded was Iran’s legitimate rights,” Esmail Baqai said at his weekly press conference on 11 May.
He added that Iran’s demands included “an end to the war, the lifting of the blockade and piracy, and the release of Iran’s assets,” which Baqai said “have been unjustly blocked in banks because of American pressure.”
“Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and the establishment of security in the region and Lebanon were Iran’s other demands, which are considered a generous and legitimate offer for regional security,” he said.
On 10 May, US President Donald Trump called Iran’s response to Washington’s proposed plan to end the war “totally unacceptable”. He did not specify its terms or possible next steps.
Many reports said the US plan was outlined in a one-page memorandum calling for a cessation of hostilities and unblocking the Strait of Hormuz, but left other key issues, including Iran’s right to enrich uranium, for later.
The May 6 edition of Axios wrote that the White House believes the US and Iran are close to concluding a short memorandum of understanding that would document an end to the war in the Middle East and set the parameters for subsequent talks on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said what Tehran’s response to the US proposal contained