Middle East Crisis Peace Talks

Iran: Open to seeking help from China in the conflict

Iran is open to letting China help resolve the conflict around the Strait of Hormuz, writes AFP. They say that Iran and China have a good relationship and that China has "good intentions".

- We appreciate all countries that have the ability to help, especially China, says Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to several reporters in India, where he is participating in a meeting with the BRICS cooperation organization.

At the same time, he says that the strait is open to commercial traffic from "friendly-minded countries" and urges ships to coordinate passage through the strait with Iranian forces.  

Iran: Lack of trust hampers negotiations

The lack of trust is the biggest obstacle in the negotiations between Iran and the United States, says Iran's Foreign Minister and chief negotiator Abbas Araghchi according to the AP.

The US's contradictory messages have made Iran doubt their real intentions, he says during a visit to the Indian capital New Delhi.

- We doubt their seriousness, he says.

Donald Trump has dismissed Iran's response to the US's latest peace proposal as "garbage". His goal is to remove all enriched uranium from Iran and prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.

Iran has opened up for some concessions on its nuclear program, but claims it is peaceful and refuses to shut it down completely.

Trump: Losing Patience with Iran

Donald Trump is losing patience with Iran, he told reporters on Air Force One on his way home from China, according to Reuters.

The visit to Beijing did not result in any visible progress regarding the war and the Strait of Hormuz. When asked if Xi Jinping made any promises to put pressure on Iran, Trump replied:

- I'm not asking for any favors, because when you ask for favors, you have to do favors in return.

According to Trump, Xi offered diplomatic help to end the Iran war, but ruled out military help.

The Chinese president has not commented on the talks with Trump about Iran, but China's Foreign Ministry has made a terse statement about the war:

"This conflict, which should never have been started, has no reason to continue."