Iran says US ‘struggling’ to end conflict; warns Ukraine over Caspian Sea strike

US Struggling in Conflict [00:00]

• Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, stated the US is struggling to find a way out of its conflict with Tehran.
• Baghaei asserted that the US will not determine when the conflict ends.
• He mentioned that Iran is exchanging messages with Washington through intermediaries.

  "America thought Iran will collapse in 3 days and will surrender. Now, after months, America is now stuck in this uh uh place and they are proud of the crimes, which means they are stuck and they are struggling."

Response to Caspian Sea Attack [01:12]

• The Foreign Ministry spokesperson addressed a recent Ukrainian attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea.
• Iran has stated that the attack will not go unanswered, but the form of the response is unknown.
• The response could involve enhancing relations with Moscow or a military action.

  "Well, Nima, so this uh is the third time that the Foreign Ministry of Iran said that uh Ukraine's attack is not going to go unanswered."

Importance of Caspian Sea Route [02:01]

• The Caspian Sea is important for Iran as an alternative trade route, especially with conflict in southern provinces and US bombing of vessels and infrastructure.
• The US attacked the Anzali port on the Caspian Sea, and Ukraine attacked a vessel carrying weapons to Russia, though Iran insists it was a commercial vessel.
• Iran does not want the Caspian Sea to become a battlefield.

  "And one of the main alternative trade routes that Iran was studying on was the Caspian Sea."

Diplomatic Approach [03:40]

• The Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated, "We will use diplomacy to achieve our national interest."
• The scale and directness of this diplomacy are unclear.
• The impact on the Strait of Hormuz and potential blockage is a concern.

  "We will use diplomacy to achieve our national interest."

Strait of Hormuz Negotiations [04:02]

• Comprehensive talks were held with Omanis regarding managing shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
• Progress has been made, and ideas have been shared.
• The core issue is who controls the Strait, not just managing traffic.

  "And here the problem is that the so the the the tension the the source of the conflict now is not about how to manage the ships, the maritime traffic the straight through the Strait of Hormuz, but rather who is going to control the Strait of Hormuz."

Direct Negotiations with US [04:50]

• Negotiations regarding the Strait of Hormuz are exclusively between Muscat and Tehran.
• At the moment, there are no negotiations with the United States.
• Iran is not stepping back from its positions and insists on control over the Strait of Hormuz.

  "And the second is that he's saying these negotiations are just exclusively between Muscat and Tehran and at the moment they have no negotiations with the United States."