Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei visits a school, which was damaged in a strike on Feb. 28, in Lamerd, Iran, Sept. 12, 2026. (Credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
BEIRUT — Iran is still reviewing the U.S. response to its proposal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and will convey its position to Washington through mediators once the review is complete, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Monday at a press conference, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.
“Message exchanges between Iran and the United States through mediators are ongoing,” he said, specifying that Qatar and Pakistan continue to play this role. The spokesman also stressed the need to respect the preconditions set by Tehran for any resumption of negotiations.
The remarks came a day after senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei called the U.S. response “insufficient,” saying it failed to meet the seven conditions set by Tehran for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming talks. While Washington is pushing to prioritize Iran’s nuclear program, Tehran wants negotiations to focus on reopening the strategic maritime route and restoring its security.
Calls for de-escalation
Asked about the military escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen, Baghaei said he was “deeply concerned by developments on the Arabian Peninsula,” adding that the escalation would “only benefit the Israeli regime,” according to Al Jazeera.
Reaffirming Tehran’s willingness to facilitate dialogue between Riyadh and the Houthis, the spokesman said the Yemeni conflict should have been resolved long ago on the basis of the United Nations road map. “We had declared that we would support any agreement reached between the Yemenis and the Saudis ... We call for this situation to be resolved through dialogue,” he said, according to Reuters.
His remarks came after several Houthi attacks on Riyadh International Airport over the weekend left at least 14 people dead and several hundred injured, while new airstrikes targeted Sanaa, the Yemeni capital under rebel control. “We absolutely do not want hostilities and war to continue between Muslim countries,” Baghaei added, urging all sides to find a solution “through dialogue and consultation.”
Baghaei also praised Russia’s “constructive” role in the Iranian nuclear issue, while stressing that mediation with Washington remained primarily in the hands of Pakistan and Qatar.
Backed by Iran, the Houthis belong to the “Axis of Resistance,” a grouping of anti-Israel organizations that also includes Hezbollah, Hamas and various Iraqi Shiite armed factions. Hostilities between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Houthis, who control Sanaa and large swaths of the country, flared anew in July after years of relative calm.
