Araghchi in Baghdad: new talks with the US only with “credible guarantees” – “The choice on Hormuz belongs to Washington”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran remains open to negotiations with the US, but only with “credible guarantees” that new attacks will not follow. Araghchi spoke on Saturday at the 52nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held in Baghdad on October 17 and 18. Iraq took over the chairmanship of the Council from Turkey.

“Iran does not accept coercion, threats and intimidation and will not give up its sovereign rights under pressure. But it remains ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and credible guarantees,” he said in his speech. He argued that Iran negotiated “in good faith” for the past two years, but that diplomacy was repeatedly followed by military attacks, which created “deep mistrust” about resuming talks without guarantees.

On the Strait of Hormuz, Araghchi recalled the seven-day proposal conveyed through Qatar, under which the Strait could open and traffic be restored under conditions. According to him, the choice now belongs to the US. “You cannot bomb a country, threaten to destroy it and blockade it, and then expect maritime security to return to normal,” he said. He also referred to the understanding of Islamabad, mediated by Pakistan, after which traffic in the Strait had returned to about 60% of pre-war levels, before its implementation froze. Tehran had already given its answer on the “seven-day plan” in early October.

On Yemen, the Iranian minister said the conflict “has no military solution” and that Iran is ready to help a dialogue between the parties, based on the peace roadmap agreed in the past. On the sidelines of the meeting he met his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty, Turkey’s Hakan Fidan and Libya’s acting foreign minister. Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of supporting the Houthi attacks, which Tehran rejects.

At the same meeting, the OIC secretary-general condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia as a “flagrant violation” of the kingdom’s sovereignty. The organisation also announced a meeting of the secretary-general with the Egyptian foreign minister on the sidelines of the proceedings, which conclude on Sunday.