UN agency says soaring fuel, food, fertilizer costs worsening food insecurity far beyond the region
TEHRAN – A senior advisor to Iran’s supreme leader has called on US President Donald Trump to make decisions independently of Israel, stop the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, and release Iran’s frozen assets.
The negotiations between the two sides “are at a deadlock and Trump must break this deadlock,” Mohsen Rezaei, military advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said in an exclusive interview with CNN on Friday (local time) in Tehran.
If Trump wants to reach an agreement with Iran, the release of frozen Iranian assets “is a test that America must pass, and the path will be opened,” Rezaei said.
Rezaei rejected the prospect of a potential meeting between Trump and Khamenei. “This will not happen. Right now, we are in the first stage of negotiations, and Mr Trump has brought the negotiations to a standstill.”
Trump told reporters on Thursday that he would be open to meeting with Khamenei if the two sides reach a peace deal.
Rezaei, former chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told CNN that Iran would “drag the war” beyond the Persian Gulf if Washington resumes the conflict, reports Xinhua news agency.
Following a ceasefire that took effect between Iran, the United States and Israel on April 8 after 40 days of fighting, Tehran and Washington initiated a diplomatic process with Pakistan’s mediation to end the war. The two sides have reportedly exchanged several proposed plans over the past few weeks, outlining conditions for peace through Pakistan’s mediation, and are working to finalise a memorandum of understanding to end the war.
Iran has tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz from February 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iran. The United States has also imposed a naval blockade on the strait, preventing ships travelling to and from Iranian ports from transiting the waterway.
Tensions have continued around the Strait of Hormuz as Washington and Tehran carried out fresh attacks in recent days. — IANS
