Araghchi says Iran has presented 'concrete' Hormuz reopening proposal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran has presented a concrete seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Press TV reported. Speaking at the 52nd Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Baghdad on Saturday, Araghchi said Tehran had conveyed the proposal through Qatar and is prepared to restore passage through the strategic waterway if the necessary conditions were met, the report said. At the same time, Araghchi said that the United States cannot expect maritime security to return to normal while continuing to exert military pressure on Iran, blaming US and Israeli war on the country for disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. “Security cannot be restored by more of the same,” he said. “One cannot bomb a country, threaten its annihilation and impose a blockade, and then expect the security of navigation to return to normal.” Araghchi said Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding in Islamabad on June 17 and subsequently begun technical discussions with Oman to facilitate the safe passage of vessels. But Tehran's repeated attempts to pursue negotiations in good faith were met with military action, he said, creating deep distrust in the prospects for renewed talks without credible guarantees against a recurrence. Despite those concerns, he said, Iran had kept the door to diplomacy open. Araghchi said the seven-day Hormuz re-opening proposal has been conveyed through Qatar. (AFP)