ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday that Tehran is prepared to resume negotiations with the United States if Washington halts what he described as “maritime piracy” in the Persian Gulf.
“Iran is ready to continue diplomacy if the US abandons its maximalist approach,” Pezeshkian said during a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, according to Iranian state media.
He condemned the US naval blockade targeting Iran’s southern ports as “unacceptable” and a "violation of international law."
Talks between Tehran and Washington remain largely stalled, despite a fragile ceasefire extension announced on April 21 by US President Donald Trump. The two countries had been engaged in nearly six weeks of conflict since February 28, with Israel supporting Washington in strikes that reportedly hit more than 17,000 sites across Iran and killed around 50 senior officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Key sticking points in negotiations include Iran’s nuclear program and the continued US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz - a critical route for roughly one-fifth of global energy supplies - since April 13.
In response, Tehran has imposed restrictions on the waterway, including unofficial transit fees reportedly reaching up to $2 million per vessel.
Iran’s economy has been heavily impacted, with 42 vessels diverted and approximately 61 million barrels of crude unable to reach buyers, according to data released Wednesday by United States Central Command.
In a separate statement carried by state media, Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei said “a new chapter is unfolding for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” pledging closer regional cooperation without US military presence.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf echoed the sentiment, saying Iran’s management of the waterway would help secure “a future free from American presence and interference.”
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for de-escalation and the restoration of maritime freedoms.
“I am deeply concerned about restrictions on navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, urging that such rights “be restored immediately.”
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