Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran's forces were ready to defend the country and accused Washington of insisting on terms Iran views as one-sided amid a dispute over Strait of Hormuz security.
In an interview with German broadcaster ARD on Sunday, Baghaei said Iran continued using mediators to send messages to Washington. He said U.S. demands included requiring Iran to surrender completely.
Baghaei denied that Iran was involved in an alleged operation against an air base in Britain. He blamed U.S. and Israeli actions for insecurity around the Strait of Hormuz and said Iran would take steps it considered necessary to protect its territory and people while those conditions continued.
The Straits Times reported that a June memorandum between Tehran and Washington did not last and that later indirect talks alongside the U.N. General Assembly produced no breakthrough. The outlet also reported Tehran had rejected transferring its nuclear material abroad while suggesting it could be diluted in Iran; EconoTimes previously covered Iran's position on keeping enriched nuclear material inside the country.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces supported more than 3,000 commercial vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz in the six months ending Oct. 25.
