In a move designed to increase pressure on the United States to make concessions in the conflict with his country, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi briefed European capitals on the nature of the offer Iran was prepared to make during weekend talks in Islamabad, which concerned its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and the future management of the Strait of Hormuz.
After unsuccessful negotiations, Aragchi briefed the foreign ministers of France and Germany, Jean-Noël Barrot and Johan Vaudeful, as well as the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar, by phone.
He stressed, as reported by the Guardian, that Iran does not consider the Pakistan-led negotiation process to be exhausted, even after 21 hours of intensive talks.
Donald Trump has kept Europe on the sidelines for more than a year when it comes to the Iranian issue, as the US president has focused on cooperation with Israel, while Tehran has largely rejected European governments, considering them an extension of America. However, the British newspaper points out that the deepening transatlantic rift and the intense pressure being exerted on European economies have led Iran to reconsider its stance towards Europe as a possible means of pressuring Trump.
"The Iranians will probably try to see if it is possible to persuade the Europeans to, at best, move more in their direction compared to the previous position, which from the Iranian perspective was very servile towards the US, and if that is not possible, to see if there is a deeper split in Europe in which not all countries would have to follow the line drawn by Germany, France or the UK," Quincy Institute Director Trita Parsi told the British newspaper. "The Iranians are particularly trying to quickly establish this mechanism with relatively low transit fees and to persuade as many countries as possible to agree to it," Parsi added.
European countries, to show some respect for Trump’s request to provide military support for his war, have focused on forming a defensive, non-combatant maritime alliance to oversee freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, but only after the conflict is over. That plan requires sensitive discussions about rules of engagement, likely to be shaped by the European Union’s experience in the Red Sea, where it opposed the Houthis during Operation Aspides.
Talks led by Britain and France on steps to open the Strait of Hormuz will include the possibility of imposing financial sanctions on Iran if it continues to block the waterway, as well as measures to cooperate with the economy to restore maritime traffic, Reuters reported yesterday, citing informed sources.
Paris and London, which are seeking to take the lead in the initiative after previous military and political meetings, want to demonstrate their willingness to play a role in restoring freedom of navigation after the conflict ends.
Talks led by Britain and France on steps to open the Strait of Hormuz will include the possibility of imposing financial sanctions on Iran if it continues to block the waterway.
The cabinets of French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced yesterday that they would jointly chair a video conference on Friday of about 40 countries willing to contribute to the multilateral mission.
Senior diplomats will hold a telephone conversation before Friday to prepare for the meeting, three other European diplomats told Reuters.
This week's meetings will focus on four working groups: advocating for freedom of navigation and maritime security, considering economic measures against Iran if the strait remains closed, securing the release of sailors and ships that have been captured, and working with the industry to support its readiness to resume transit, the British agency's source said.
One of the sources said that Britain is leading the diplomatic track, while France is working on military planning, which should assess what assets participating countries could make available and how they could be deployed.
Iran has largely closed the strait to ships, except its own, since the start of US-Israeli air strikes on February 28.
On Monday, Washington imposed a blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports.
The blockade of Iranian ports imposed by the US has involved more than 10.000 military personnel, more than ten warships and dozens of aircraft, the US Central Command announced yesterday.
"During the first 24 hours, no ship managed to pass the US blockade, and six merchant vessels acted on orders from US forces to turn around and return to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman," the command said in a statement.
Trump has called on other countries to help enforce the blockade. Britain, France and others have said they will not do so, as it would mean entering a war, but they would be prepared to help keep the strait open once the fighting is over.
Sources say that the talks are still in the preparatory phase and that any mission could only follow after the end of the conflict and with some kind of agreement from Iran and the United States.
"The United States needs to pull itself together. The situation is paradoxical right now, because it is the US that is the most unpredictable," said one senior European diplomat.
Trump said in an interview with the New York Post yesterday that talks with Iran could continue in Pakistan over the next two days. "You really should stay there, because something could happen in the next two days, and we're more inclined to go there," he said.
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