WANA (Apr 18) – Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, speaking on the sidelines of the “Antalya Diplomacy Forum,” stated that the excessive position of the United States is an obstacle to reaching an agreement in the Tehran-Washington negotiations, announcing that no date has yet been declared for holding the second round of these talks.

 

Saeed Khatibzadeh, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, told reporters today at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum meeting that progress has been made toward reaching an agreement in negotiations with the U.S., but obstacles still remain.

 

Negotiations to reach an agreement were held in Islamabad on April 12 (23 Farvardin) following the announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and the United States. Although both sides reached an understanding on a range of issues, they did not reach an agreement due to the gap in their views regarding two to three important matters.

 

Pakistan’s efforts to hold another round of negotiations have continued, and media reports indicated plans to hold the second round of these talks next Monday in Islamabad; however, Iran has not yet announced its participation in these negotiations due to Washington’s breach of commitments regarding adherence to the ceasefire conditions, including the continued blockade of Iranian ports.

 

Khatibzadeh emphasized that the date for the next round of negotiations with the U.S. has not yet been determined. According to him, setting a specific date is impossible without an agreement on a general framework, and information will be provided once such an agreement is reached.

 

The Deputy Foreign Minister added that the excessive position of the United States has prevented the achievement of a final agreement. In this regard, he stated: “Iran accepts no special status outside of international laws and will implement all its commitments exactly within the framework of international rules.”

 

Referring to the situation of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, Khatibzadeh stated: “For us, there is no ambiguity in this matter. I cannot speak for the other side, whose policy may be designed to confuse everyone. The Strait of Hormuz is open to commercial shipping. Of course, this matter pertains to the post-ceasefire period. There may be technical restrictions due to security issues.”

 

According to him, the Strait of Hormuz has not been closed.