May 23: Progress in talks to end imposed war as IRGC continues to oversee Strait of Hormuz transits

By Press TV Website Staff

In Pakistan-mediated talks with the United States, Iran's foreign ministry on Saturday said both sides have edged closer to a 14-point memorandum of understanding that will end the imposed war of aggression on all fronts.

Senior Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, reiterated Iran’s firm and uncompromising position in negotiations with Washington, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held separate discussions with regional counterparts and reaffirmed support for Hezbollah.

Pakistani army chief Asim Munir continued consultations with top Iranian officials in Tehran on Saturday before heading back to Islamabad

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy reported that 25 more vessels transited through the Strait of Hormuz under its coordination in the past 24 hours, alongside continued military readiness statements, while Iran also issued diplomatic responses at the United Nations and condemned ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

Key developments on day 85 of the war, the forty-fifth day of the ceasefire:

• Iran and the United States edged closer to finalizing a 14-point memorandum of understanding to end the imposed war, halt American maritime banditry and piracy, and secure the release of Iran’s blocked assets, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.
• President Pezeshkian said the Islamic Republic seeks only to restore its legitimate rights in talks with the United States, but that past experiences of negotiating with Americans have led Tehran to proceed with extreme caution.
• Parliament Speaker Qalibaf said Tehran has no trust in the US and will never retreat from its rights in talks with Washington aimed at ending the war.
• In a letter to Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem, Foreign Minister Araghchi reiterated the Islamic Republic's unwavering support for the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance group, stressing that Tehran pledges to back justice-seeking movements worldwide.
• Araghchi also held separate telephone conversations with his counterparts from Iraq, Turkey, and Qatar to discuss bilateral issues and latest regional and international developments, including the Pakistan-mediated talks with the US.
• In a conversation with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday, the Iranian top diplomat described the US litany of failures to honor its commitments as the source of disruption of Pakistan-mediated negotiations.
• The IRGC Navy announced that 25 more vessels, including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial vessels, transited the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours after obtaining permission and under the security coordination of the IRGC Navy.
• Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, Deputy Army Commander for Coordination, said the Iranian forces are ready for a historic fight against any new act of aggression against the country amid threats from the United States and the Israeli regime that they might launch a fresh assault on Iran.
• Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik, spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said Trump has sunk in the quagmire of an unprovoked war of aggression against Iran, stressing that he has no choice but to comply with the Iranian nation’s demands and respect its rights.
• Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, dismissed US allegations regarding a drone strike against the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates, saying Washington abused the UN Security Council to spread false accusations against Iran and its peaceful nuclear program.
• Iravani said Persian Gulf Arab states and Jordan have assisted the United States and Israel in their aggression against the Islamic Republic, calling on the Security Council to hold them accountable for their unlawful actions. 
• Pakistan’s military said high-level talks in Tehran have produced “encouraging progress” toward a final understanding between Iran and the United States.
• The Lebanese army said an Israeli strike targeted an army barracks in the southern city of Nabatieh, wounding a soldier despite an ongoing ceasefire.
• Iran strongly condemned the brutal Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Friday, which killed several paramedics and a Lebanese photojournalist, and caused widespread destruction of infrastructure.
• Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Issa Qassim, Bahrain's most prominent Shia Muslim cleric, sharply criticized hawkish US policies toward Iran, saying no rational person would blame Tehran for defending itself in the ongoing US-Israeli war.

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