LONDON, April 9. /TASS/. The US must choose "between war and ceasefire" in the Middle East, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told BBC in an interview.
"They cannot have it both at the same time," the diplomat said, revealing that Iran had communicated this "clear" message to the Washington administration the day before.
"You cannot ask for a ceasefire, and then accept terms and conditions, accept the areas the ceasefire is applied to, name Lebanon in that, and then your ally just starts a massacre," Khatibzadeh noted.
On April 7, US President Donald Trump announced a two-week mutual ceasefire with Iran. According to him, the parties have resolved nearly all contentious issues, and Washington views Tehran’s 10-point proposal as a working basis for further negotiations. These include adherence to the principle of non-aggression, Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, uranium enrichment within the country, the lifting of primary and secondary sanctions, the payment of compensation, and the withdrawal of US forces from the region. Trump stated that the decision was made based on Iran’s willingness to open the Strait of Hormuz. In turn, Tehran agreed to cease "defensive attacks" provided that no strikes are launched against Iran. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is mediating between the parties, invited them to negotiate on April 10. According to the Iranian state broadcaster, the talks are expected to be face-to-face.