Iran says progress on many issues with US but agreement not imminent

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Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei

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Iran said Monday that Tehran and Washington had reached understandings on many issues in exchanges over a deal for ending the war, but warned an agreement was not imminent.

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“It is correct to say that we have reached a conclusion on a large portion of the issues under discussion,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, during a weekly news briefing.

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“But to say that this means the signing of an agreement is imminent — no one can make such a claim,” he said, accusing Washington of “contradictions” and shifting its positions.

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The remarks come after Iran said it was finalising a 14-point framework for a deal on ending the war with the United States which broke out on February 28.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a deal to end the war with Iran could materialise on Monday as US President Donald Trump said his negotiators not to “rush”.

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During the press conference, Baqaei insisted that the framework being drafted “is focused on ending the war” across the region, including in Lebanon.

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He reiterated that details on Iran’s nuclear programme — a key sticking point for Washington — were not included and that the issue would only be discussed after the two sides agree on the framework.

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Clauses on ending the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, in place since April 13, and arrangements on the strategic Strait of Hormuz were included, he said.

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“US actions under the title of a naval blockade must be stopped, and at the same time, the Islamic Republic of Iran will take the necessary measures for safe transit in the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

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Traffic through Hormuz, a vital global shipping route, has come under Iranian control since the outbreak of the war.

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Iran, which has only allowed a trickle of ships to pass through the strait, has insisted that vessels obtain permission from its armed forces before transiting the waterway.

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Baqaei said Iran was not imposing tolls on ships transiting the strait but rather collecting fees for “navigational services”.

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“The services that are provided — navigational services in addition to the measures necessary to protect the environment of the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman — require the collection of certain fees,” he said, adding that Iran was “not seeking to collect tolls”.

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