Iraqi: No Final Negotiations with Ongoing American Threats

SadaNews - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi emphasized today, Tuesday, that his country will not begin negotiations for a final agreement with the United States if the threats continue, calling for adherence to the terms of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides.

Araqchi stated in a post on the "X" platform that "millions of Iranians gathered to honor Leader Ali Khamenei and his legacy, and neither they nor our armed forces will be affected by any threats." He added that "the thirteenth paragraph of the memorandum of understanding is clear, as it states that negotiations on the final agreement will not begin if the threats continue," concluding his message with, "Respect your signature."

The Iranian minister's statements come at a time when Washington and Tehran are preparing to resume political communications after temporarily suspending them due to the funeral rites for Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei, amid ongoing disagreements over several key issues, most notably the nuclear program and American sanctions.

Earlier, Al-Arabiya revealed that a new round of negotiations between the United States and Iran is scheduled to take place on July 11, to discuss issues related to sanctions, frozen Iranian funds, and the nuclear program, while the level of representation of the Iranian delegation remains linked to the completion of arrangements following Khamenei's funeral.

The disagreements between the two parties are not limited to the nuclear program; in recent weeks, new files have emerged, including the future of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the management mechanism of the maritime corridor, after Tehran proposed imposing service fees on passing ships, which was met with rejection from the U.S. and Gulf countries.

In this context, Araqchi had confirmed days ago that "peace in the region cannot be maintained through external intervention," considering that the American military presence has brought only "insecurity," as he put it.

His remarks at the time were in response to a meeting held by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) with 12 countries in Bahrain, during which it affirmed its commitment to freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran has also insisted in recent times that ships pass through the routes defined by Iranian authorities, threatening a "decisive response" to any ship that violates those instructions, a stance that has heightened tensions regarding one of the world's most important maritime passages.

Observers believe that Araqchi's statements reflect Tehran's insistence on its conditions before moving to the final agreement stage, at a time when both parties are trying to maintain the negotiation track, despite ongoing divergences over security guarantees, lifting sanctions, the nuclear file, and freedom of navigation in the Gulf.