THE Iranian Foreign Ministry said yesterday that the United States is not serious about negotiations, and asserted that Washington will face the Islamic Republic’s decisive retaliation if it repeats its past mistakes concerning the country.
Spokesman Esmail Baghaei pointed to contradictions between Washington’s words and actions.
‘Their words and actions are not consistent and Iran will make the appropriate decision with careful consideration of its interests and national priorities,’ he stated.
The remarks came after the US said it would continue blockading Iran’s ports and vessels, despite the announcement of a two-week lull in aggression targeting the Islamic Republic by President Donald Trump on April 7th.
Iran subsequently declared the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed to all traffic in retaliation, citing the continuation of the blockade as a violation of ceasefire conditions.
‘From the early days of the ceasefire, we were faced with the US’s bad faith, contradictory statements, followed by a naval blockade,’ Baghaei said.
Pakistan yesterday told US President Trump that the continued US naval blockade of Iranian ports is hampering Islamabad’s efforts to mediate a second round of negotiations between Iran and the US.
Pakistan’s key mediator, Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, warned Trump about the blockade, which caused Iran to announce it will not attend a second round of talks with the US in Islamabad.
The development came hours after US military forces fired on and boarded an Iranian cargo ship, disabling its navigation systems, in the Sea of Oman.
Iran vowed to retaliate against the seizure of the ship and said that it ‘has no plans’ to send a delegation to Islamabad for the resumption of negotiations.
Authorities in Tehran also pointed to excessive demands raised by the US for reaching a deal, as well as Washington’s refusal to lift the blockade.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, stated that after the blatant aggression by US terrorist commandos against the Iranian commercial ship in the waters of the Sea of Oman, the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are ready to deal decisively with the American aggressor forces.
‘Given the current situation, once the safety of the families and crew of the vessel targeted by American aggression is ensured, the powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will take the necessary action against the terrorist US Army,’ Zolfaghari said.
