Iran says talks are the only route to ending conflict as Hormuz tensions persist
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the Middle East conflict cannot be resolved through military action or further sanctions, as negotiations appear stalled. His comments came after a maritime agency reported that a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unidentified projectile, with the crew safe.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said negotiations based on fairness are the only way to end the conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel, as discussions appear to have reached an impasse. Speaking to foreign ambassadors on Sunday, Araghchi said there was no military solution to the war and that further sanctions would not resolve it. He also warned that Iran would respond more forcefully if its adversaries chose renewed military confrontation.
The comments came as tensions continued around the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for Gulf oil and gas. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker had reported being hit by an unidentified projectile, damaging its engine room. The crew was safe and no environmental impact was reported.
The agency did not identify the vessel’s origin or destination, specify when the incident occurred, or say whether it was carrying oil or liquefied natural gas. Iran has sought control over shipping through the strait since the war began, while the United States has imposed a counter-blockade of Iranian ports. The dispute over the waterway remains the main obstacle in discussions on ending the conflict.
Iranian and US officials held indirect talks on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly last week. Tehran says it presented seven conditions for reopening the strait, including a regional ceasefire, the unfreezing of assets abroad, the removal of sanctions on its oil sector and an end to the US naval blockade. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the United States had conveyed its views through intermediaries and that Tehran was reviewing them.
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the latest US counterproposal remained focused on earlier nuclear-related issues, while Iran was prioritising the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s oil minister, Mohsen Paknejad, also resigned as the country faced fuel queues. Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the National Iranian Oil Company, was appointed acting oil minister, according to the presidency.
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