Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei reiterated his country's position rejecting the removal of enriched uranium from its territory.
"We have said from the beginning that the enriched material will not leave the country, one of the options is to reduce its concentration inside Iran, and this is not a new option," Baghaei said in a broadcast on Iranian television, considering that "the United States of America should lift the sanctions imposed on Iranian oil today."
"Our missiles are only required for launches and not for negotiations, we will not discuss our defense capabilities with anyone in any negotiation process," he added.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman made this statement after announcing that his country had signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States, which stipulates that until the sanctions are finally lifted, an exception will be granted for the export of Iranian crude oil, petrochemicals and their derivatives, with the provision of all necessary services. Iran's official news agency IRNA published the text of the memo.
Earlier yesterday, US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Bezshakian signed a memorandum of understanding to officially enter into force, with the foremost clauses being the cessation of the war between the two countries, the lifting of the blockade on Iranian ports, and ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Early on Thursday morning, Trump announced the signing of a copy of the memorandum of understanding concluded with Iran, and the "Axios" website reported that the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday electronically to end the war between the two parties, and the website quoted high-ranking American officials as saying that the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran came into effect after signing it remotely.
Iran postpones collection of 'Hormuz fees' for 60 days
Iran reiterated on Wednesday that it intends to impose tariffs on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, after a 60-day period exempt from any fees stipulated in the memorandum of understanding with the United States, pending a final text is negotiated.
Chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament, said in an interview on state television broadcast on Wednesday night that the strait "will not return to what it was before the war." "Iran has a sovereign right in the Strait of Hormuz, and of course we will charge fees for these services," he said.
According to the text of the memorandum of understanding published by the two sides, "the Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements and make the best efforts to ensure the safe passage of commercial ships without fees for only 60 days" in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has practically closed since the start of the war, which has had a significant impact on the global economy.
What does international law say?
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, specifically Article 41, gives the countries bordering the straits the right to define sea lanes and traffic separation systems to ensure the safety of passage, and the article authorizes the replacement of such lanes when necessary, provided that they are in compliance with international regulations and are referred to the competent organization for approval, and that ships are obliged to adhere to these routes.
According to this article, Iran can invoke security and territorial protection necessities to impose special arrangements, but international law requires that these corridors be internationally accredited, which becomes complicated in the conditions of war on which Tehran relies in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Convention on the Law of the Sea affirms that States bordering the Straits are not entitled to charge fees for allowing transit, except for limited fees for actual services such as pilotage, towing or port services, provided that they are not charged discriminatory on the vessels of certain States.
This rule differs from excavated waterways such as the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal, where Egypt and Panama have the right to charge transit fees, and in return, the Turkish Straits are governed by the 1936 Montreux Convention, which guarantees the free passage of merchant ships in peace, and only allows fees that cover the cost of services without imposing a general transit fee.
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