The Epoch Times reached out to the White House for further comment but didn’t immediately receive a response.
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the Iranian regime’s state-run news agency, said that current negotiations should focus exclusively on the cessation of hostilities in the region, and other issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, should be discussed later.
Iran’s response is focused on efforts to end the aggression on all fronts, including Israeli attacks on Lebanon, and to guarantee the security of shipping in the Persian Gulf, according to Iran’s state TV.
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A significant point of disagreement remains over the control of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s state TV said the strait has been under Iranian control since the early days of the war.
Iran’s state TV said the country has indicated it is ready to reopen the strait if the war ends permanently and the United States lifts its sanctions and naval blockade.
The first phase of peace negotiations “must concentrate on shipping and sanctions, while signaling they are ready to discuss the country’s nuclear program in later stages of the talks with the U.S.,” Iran said according to the IRNA.
Pakistan brokered a ceasefire between Iran and the United States that stopped nearly 40 days of warfare, according to IRNA.
President Donald Trump addressed Iran in a Sunday post on Truth Social.
“Iran has been playing games with the United States, and the rest of the World, for 47 years (DELAY, DELAY, DELAY!),” Trump wrote. “For 47 years the Iranians have been ’tapping’ us along, keeping us waiting, killing our people with their roadside bombs, destroying protests, and recently wiping out 42,000 innocent, unarmed protestors, and laughing at our now GREAT AGAIN Country. They will be laughing no longer!”
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