TEHRAN, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday conveyed the country's "decisive positions" regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to the United States, state-run IRIB news agency reported.
Citing its exclusive source, the IRIB said Iran's positions were relayed to the U.S. side in a meeting between Araghchi and U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
According to the report, 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.
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 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. ■
