Iran today questioned the seriousness of US diplomacy in the ongoing consultations to find a way out of the Middle East conflict, but made no mention of its response to Washington’s latest proposal.
A month after a ceasefire went into effect, Iranian diplomatic chief Abbas Araghchi made his skepticism known during a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on the eve of new clashes in Gulf waters.
“The recent escalation of tensions by US forces and multiple violations of the ceasefire reinforce suspicions about the motives and seriousness of the US side in the diplomatic route,” Araghchi said, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.
In Washington, President Donald Trump had said for his part yesterday, Friday, that he expects an Iranian response this evening to a proposal aimed at bringing a permanent end to hostilities. “I should get a letter tonight, so we’ll see how that goes,” he had assured reporters.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei had for his part said, according to state television, that Iran was still studying the US proposal.
– Clashes at sea –
The US military announced yesterday, Friday, that it had “neutralized” from the air two Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, a gateway to the Strait of Hormuz.
Although the ships were empty of cargo, according to the armed forces, images released by the US military command in charge of the region (CENTOM) show columns of thick smoke rising from the ships.
Tehran has denounced to the UN a “flagrant violation” of the ceasefire.
A military source cited by Tasnim confirmed that Iranian forces had responded. “After a period of exchanges of fire, the clashes have currently stopped and calm has returned,” he said.
The UK announced today that it will deploy to the Middle East its HMS Dragon destroyer currently in the Mediterranean, ahead of the deployment of a future international transport security mission in the Strait of Hormuz.
In addition, according to satellite images released yesterday, Friday, an oil spill measuring about 50 square kilometres was spotted in the Gulf off the Iranian island of Harg, the country’s main oil export terminal, through which 90 per cent of Iran’s crude oil normally passes.
According to the Conflict and Environment Watch, a UK-based non-governmental organization, the oil spill has however been “greatly reduced” today.
“There is no official information about oil spills near Harg Island,” the head of Iran’s parliamentary committee on energy assured, quoted by ISNA today.
