Iran conveyed conditions regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to the United States on Tuesday, said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei during a media interview.
Iran's positions were relayed to the U.S. side in a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, mediated by Qatar, said Baghaei. According to the spokesman, among Iran's conditions for the waterway's reopening are lifting the U.S. naval blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets, and ending the war in the region on all fronts.
Witkoff posted on his social media account on Tuesday that the U.S. side had "lengthy talks" with the Iranian delegation, through the working of mediators. The U.S. side hopes the talks "will prove constructive and promising".
On the sidelines of the 81st session of the UNGA on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that officials from the U.S. and Iranian sides had a three-hour talk and are planning to hold another one soon. On June 18, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the war in the region on all fronts, including Lebanon. Under the MoU, they were scheduled to hold negotiations within 60 days, which ended on Aug. 17, to reach a final agreement, but the fate of the talks remains unclear following a series of recent escalations between the two countries.
Following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, Tehran restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while U.S. forces imposed a naval blockade targeting vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports.
Iran conveys conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz to U.S. in New York: spokesman
