Iran Tells U.S. to Meet Its Demands Before Reopening Oil Route

(Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. Photo Credit: CNN)
Iran has told the U.S. that using millitary force or applying tougher economic punishments will not fix their disagreements.

Instead, Iran says the U.S. must meet it specific demands before the vital sea route, the Strait of Hormuz, can be opened back up.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the only way forward is respectful diplomacy.

He was speaking to Iran's IRNA news agency on Tuesday.

Iran has offered to reopen the strait, which it has blocked since the war began, within two days if Washington agrees to its terms.

Those include ending the war on all fronts, releasing frozen Iranian assets, lifting oil sanctions and ending the US blockade of Iranian ports.

The comments came a day after President Donald Trump said there was "positive momentum" toward ending the war, following talks with Qatar's prime minister at the White House.

Trump said further strikes were "quite unlikely" because Gulf allies prefer the current situation.

Qatar and Pakistan are leading efforts to broker a deal in a war that began in late February, when US and Israeli strikes killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran's security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, went further, telling Washington to "surrender" to Iran's demands.

He said the U.S. is trying to hold meetings that are not actually goin to happen.