A senior official in Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Ali Safari, said that Iran and the United States suffer from deep mistrust, and that responsibility for progress in negotiations now lies with Washington.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Safari said the US must choose between continuing its pressure policy or shifting to a diplomatic track.
According to him, only negotiations based on mutual respect can advance a solution. Safari added that prior to any diplomatic move, trust must be restored between the sides; to this end, he claimed that "lifting the blockade imposed on Iranian ports" would be considered a positive step toward resolving the disputes.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has instructed his aides to prepare for an "extended blockade" in the Strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal said, quoting US officials.
According to WSJ, Trump believes that walking away from the war or resuming fighting both carry more risk than maintaining the blockade and "squeezing" Iran's economy.
The US naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz officially began in mid-April. President Donald Trump announced the blockade after delegations from Iran and the United States held extended negotiations in Islamabad but failed to produce an agreement.