By Parisa Hafezi
NEW YORK, Sept 22 (Reuters) – Iran can reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday.
On Sunday, Iran’s military central command said it was informed the US was preparing to restart military operations with the support of regional countries, and warned this would lead to Tehran’s retaliation “without limitations and considerations”.
“The US needs to announce that it wants to resolve the issue diplomatically, make that official, and then agree on a timeline for how the process will move forward”, the senior Iranian official said, adding the Iranian delegation to the United Nations General Assembly is in New York and has full authority to revive diplomacy with the United States.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, who left Tehran for New York on Tuesday morning, will not meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the UN headquarters in New York, the official told Reuters.
The Iranian official said details on an agreement to end hostilities with Washington can be discussed in New York via mediators, explaining that Tehran’s proposal was delivered to the US via mediators on September 16.
“The UN General Assembly is a golden opportunity for the US to return to diplomacy”, the official said, adding that Tehran would welcome a revival of diplomacy if Washington takes tangible steps.
(Reporting by Parisa Hafezi, writing by Dubai Newsroom, editing by Andrew Heavens and Louise Heavens)
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