Iran has 'no trust' in US, will negotiate only if it is serious, Araqchi says

NEW DELHI (Reuters): Tehran has “no trust” in the U.S. and is interested in negotiating with Washington only if it is serious, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday, as talks on ending the war remained on hold.

Araqchi told reporters in New Delhi that all vessels can pass through the Strait of Hormuz except those “at war” with Tehran, if they coordinate with Iran’s navy.

But the situation around the waterway, vital to global energy and commodities markets, was “very complicated”, he added, during a visit to attend a BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in India.

Iran effectively shut the strait, which normally handles about one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil and gas supply, to most shipping after the U.S. and Israel began their war on Iran in February.

Pakistani-mediated US-Iran talks have stalled

Washington and Tehran announced a ceasefire last month but have been struggling to thrash out a lasting peace pact. Talks mediated by Pakistan have been suspended since Iran and the U.S. each rejected the other’s latest proposals last week.

Araqchi said “contradictory messages” had raised Iranian doubts about the Americans’ real intentions, adding that the Pakistani mediation process had not failed but was in “difficulty”.

The United States and Israel have cut short two previous rounds of talks with Tehran in the past 13 months by launching campaigns of air strikes on Iran.

Iran is trying to keep the latest ceasefire to give diplomacy a chance but is also prepared to go back to fighting, Araqchi said.

The issues holding up negotiations between the two sides include Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its control of the Strait of  Hormuz.

Hours before he spoke, U.S. President Donald Trump said his patience with Iran was running out and said he had agreed in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping that Tehran must reopen the strait.

Asked if Tehran was open to mediation by Beijing, Araqchi said Iran appreciated the efforts of any country that had the ability to help.

“We have very good relations with China,” he said. “We are strategic partners, and we know that the Chinese have good intentions. So, anything they can do to help diplomacy would be welcomed.”

Araqchi added: “We hope that, with the advancement of negotiations, we will reach a good conclusion so that the Strait of Hormuz can be completely secured and we can expedite the normalisation of traffic through the strait.”