The Iranian ambassador to the UN office in Geneva reiterated that negotiations with the United States remain contingent on the lifting of restrictions targeting Iranian ports.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s ‘World at One’ program, Ali Bahreini described the blockade as a “significant breach” of the ceasefire and stressed that talks cannot move forward under such conditions.
He underlined that Tehran is not seeking negotiations merely to give the “other side” time to prepare for further aggression, emphasizing that any diplomatic process must be grounded in genuine intent.
Bahreini also called for a “realistic approach” from Washington, urging the US to recognize Iran’s rights and address its reasonable demands as a prerequisite for meaningful engagement.
On February 28, the United States and the Israeli regime launched an unprovoked war of aggression against Iran, during which then Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and several senior military officials were martyred.
Iranian Armed Forces responded with weeks of missile and drone strikes targeting American and Israeli military positions in the occupied territories and the Persian Gulf region, inflicting heavy damages in 100 waves of counterattacks over a period of 40 days.
A Pakistani-mediated ceasefire lasting two weeks was reached on April 8, paving the way for talks in Islamabad. During those negotiations, Iran put forward a ten-point proposal that included the withdrawal of US forces and the removal of sanctions.
However, after 21 hours of negotiations on April 11 and 12, the sides failed to reach a deal, with Iranian representatives pointing to deep mistrust regarding Washington’s willingness to honor its commitments.
Iran has made clear that any return to ceasefire negotiations depends on the lifting of the US naval blockade. Officials have argued that the continued blockade constitutes a violation of the truce.