People walk next to a mural on a street in Tehran, Iran, Monday. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters-Yonhap
TEHRAN — Iran said Monday it had responded to a new U.S. proposal aimed at ending the war, adding that diplomatic exchanges continue despite Iranian media reports describing Washington's demands as excessive.
Washington and Tehran have been swapping proposals in an effort to end the conflict which the U.S. and Israel launched on February 28, but they have held only a single round of talks despite a fragile ceasefire.
"As we announced yesterday, our concerns were conveyed to the American side," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a news briefing, adding that exchanges were "continuing through the Pakistani mediator."
Baqaei defended Iran's demands, including the release of Iranian assets frozen abroad and the lifting of long-standing sanctions.
"The points raised are Iranian demands that have been firmly defended by the Iranian negotiating team in every round of negotiations," he said.
He also defended an Iranian stipulation that the U.S. pay war reparations, describing the conflict as "illegal and baseless."
On the possibility of another military confrontation, Baqaei said Iran was "fully prepared for any eventuality."
On Sunday, Iran's Fars news agency said Washington had presented a five-point list, which included a demand for Iran to keep only one nuclear site in operation and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the United States.
The U.S. had refused to release "even 25 percent" of Iran's frozen assets or pay any reparations for war damage, Fars said.
Source: Korea Times News
