TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reaffirmed on Thursday that navigation in the Strait of Hormuz would return to normal if the war is permanently resolved, the maritime blockade is lifted, and sanctions imposed on Iran are removed.
Speaking to reporters on the UN Security Council discussions of a draft resolution calling on Iran to stop laying mines in the strategic waterway, Araghchi said the proposal ignored the real cause of the current situation in the Strait, “which is Washington’s resorting to force and attacking Iran.”
He also called on the international community not to allow the Security Council to be “used as a tool to legitimize illegal measures.”
The United States has submitted a draft resolution at the United Nations demanding that Iran halt attacks and mine-laying operations in the Strait of Hormuz, while urging China and Russia to avoid using their veto power against the measure.
Meanwhile, a CIA assessment concluded that Iran could withstand a naval blockade for at least three to four months before facing severe economic difficulties, according to The Washington Post. The newspaper, citing three people familiar with the intelligence assessment, also reported that Tehran continues to retain significant ballistic missile capabilities despite weeks of intensive US and Israeli strikes.
Courtesy: shafaq
