NEW DELHI: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday he had “received messages” from the United States saying it is willing to continue talks, and that he was open to any support, including from China.
“We received messages again from the Americans saying that they are willing to continue the talks and continue the interaction,” Araghchi told reporters in the Indian capital.
Araghchi spoke a day after US President Donald Trump said Xi Jinping had offered China’s help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and that the Chinese leader had also pledged not to send military equipment to aid Iran in its war against the United States and Israel.
“We appreciate any country who has the ability to help, particularly China,” Araghchi said, speaking after he attended a meeting of the BRICS bloc of nations in New Delhi.
“We have very good relations with China, we are strategic partners to each other, and we know that (the) Chinese have a good intention, so anything that can be done by them to help diplomacy would be welcomed by the Islamic republic,” he added.
Pakistan has been the key mediator so far between the United States and Iran.
“The mediation process by Pakistan has not failed yet, but it is in a very difficult course, mostly because of the Americans’ behavior and the mistrust which exists between us,” Araghchi said.
US President Donald Trump said Friday as he flew back to the US following a two-day state visit to China that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping “feels strongly” that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon.
“He (Xi) feels strongly that they can’t have a nuclear weapon and he wants them to open up the strait,” Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One, referring to the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that has been choked by the war.
On China Trump said he was considering lifting sanctions on Chinese companies that purchase Iranian oil.
And he added: “China’s interest to open the Strait of Hormuz because 40 percent of its trade passes through it.”
Donald Trump had spent two days in talks with his Chinese counterpart.
During the conversations the pair had spoken about reopening the Hormuz Straits and preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, something the Iranians have denied, claiming their nuclear aambitionswere merely peaceful.
“We must go in and get Iran’s nuclear ‘dust’”
Speaking to press on Air Force One Trump added: “B-2 bombers turned Iran’s uranium stockpile to dust.”
Explaining his rejection of Iran’s response to the US peace proposal, Trump added: “We can destroy Iran’s power plants in just two days, I didn’t like the first sentence of the Iranian response, so I threw it away.”
Trump went on to say: “We have achieved a magnificent victory and destroyed Iran’s ships and all its commanders, Iran is currently in a state of severe confusion.”
He said that claims Iran had retained 80 percent of its missile capabilities were untrue, adding: “New York Times report on Iran’s remaining capabilities is ‘high treason’."
“More than 80 percent of Iran’s missile stockpile has been depleted, we will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, that will not happen,” he said.
(With agencies)
