Iran says Strait of Hormuz is main focus of talks to end war with US

The Strait of Hormuz is the main focus of Iran’s negotiations to end the war with the US, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Sunday."Securing the Strait of Hormuz, or restoring security to this waterway, requires specific steps from the American side,” Baqaei told a news briefing, as cited by the state-runIRNAnews agency."This issue has been discussed many times, including stopping interference with Iranian commercial shipping, ending sanctions, and other interventionist measures," he added.Baqaei said the latest US proposal to Iran to end the war was almost identical to previous proposals, adding that Washington continues to focus on the nuclear file."We will conduct the necessary investigations regarding some details and will also reflect our supplementary points to the other party," he noted.The spokesman said Iran’s top leadership has not discussed allowing International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to return to the country.The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28.Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for energy supplies.The US military later imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.Efforts to end the war have continued since a June framework deal, which seeks to pave the way for a final peace agreement covering navigation through the strategic waterway and Iran’s nuclear programme.