Strait of Hormuz security can be restored in 48 hours if US meets demands: Iran

Irans Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday said Tehrans twoday proposal to resolve the ongoing crisis remains on the table asserting that security in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz could be restored within 48 hours if the United States meets Irans demandsAccording to Iranian news agency ISNA Baghaei speaking at a weekly press conference described the proposal as the most reasonable possible plan and indicated that positive developments in the region could follow if Washington responds to Tehrans conditionsIrans twoday plan is the most reasonable possible plan and remains on the table if the United States meets Irans demands the region will see positive developments within two days and security will return to the Strait of Hormuz Baghaei said according to IRNAThe Americans must make a genuine decision if they have properly understood the message of their own people he addedBaghaei also said that Irans proposal demonstrated its goodwill dismissing US Secretary of State Marco Rubios claims that Tehrans demands were irrationalIrans demands including the lifting of the economic blockade and an end to hostilities on all fronts are entirely logical Iran wants these demands to be met before negotiations with the United States resumeWhat is irrational and absurd is the US attack on Iran in the middle of negotiations By any logic norm or standard the US attack was not only absurd illegal and irrational but also criminal Baghaei saidHis remarks come amid uncertainty surrounding diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict with negotiations between Washington and Tehran witnessing little progress in recent daysIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also indicated that diplomatic activity had slowed following the results of the US elections which he said had affected efforts by mediators to facilitate negotiationsAraghchi said US election results have shocked the mediators shuttle diplomacy we need to wait a little There has been no movement over the past few days and the main reason is the results of the US election which have ultimately come as a shock to everyone It will take some time for the situation to calm down and for conditions to become favourable again for mediators to resume their visits We need to be a little patientMeanwhile US President Donald Trump on Sunday said fresh military strikes against Iran remain highly unlikely provided that ongoing negotiations continue to advance though he stopped short of completely ruling out the prospect of further military actionDuring a telephone interview with CNN President Trump asserted that Washington had already delivered a crushing blow to Tehran rendering additional military action highly unlikely to be requiredIt depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement Trump noted addressing Irans nuclear ambitions and the unblocking of the Strait of HormuzThe US leader also maintained that American forces had mapped out critical infrastructure targets across Iran highlighting that power plants and bridges had been identified and boasted that authorities could destroy 38 bridges in an hourMost likely it will not be necessary Trump reiterated They want to make a deal so badlyEarlier President Trump disclosed that diplomatic channels remained active as his administration slapped fresh sanctions targeting eight Canadian firms alleged to have assisted Tehran in laundering funds via cryptocurrency networksWere talking to Iran We have been Trump told reporters before leaving the White HouseDepicting the military situation as highly advantageous for the United States the President reported that the Strait of Hormuz was reopeningWeve beaten Iran We are doing very well with Iran he saidWhen pressed on what message he wished to convey to Tehran President Trump balanced his assertions of military triumph with confirmation that diplomatic contacts persistedThe remarks coincided with an announcement from the US Treasury Department detailing sanctions against eight money services businesses operating in Canada under the banner of Operation Economic OutcastAccording to the Treasury these enterprises swapped Iranian rials along with other fiat currencies for digital assets to facilitate international financial transactions for Iran Officials added that multiple entities had engaged with blacklisted Iranian cryptocurrency exchanges or digital wallets tied directly to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard CorpsMore than eight months after the initial wave of joint USIsraeli strikes on Iran President Trump has continued to project ambiguous signals regarding his stance on resolving the war Meanwhile Washington and Tehran remain deadlocked with minimal headway in formal diplomatic initiativesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to 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