TEHRAN- Iran and the United States continue to exchange messages through indirect channels, but no final understanding has been reached yet, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said.

Speaking by telephone on Iran’s state television program “Be Vaqt-e Iran” on Friday evening, Baqaei addressed the latest developments in indirect contacts between Tehran and Washington, as well as recent remarks by the US president.

“We said goodbye to the language of ‘must’ 47 years ago,” Baqaei said, referring to the victory of the Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the US-backed Pahlavi regime in Iran.

“No Western party can use the language of ‘must’ when dealing with the Islamic Republic of Iran. We make our own decisions based on the interests and rights of the Iranian people,” he added.
Commenting on US claims regarding a naval blockade, Baqaei described the measure as unlawful from the outset, arguing that it violated the ceasefire agreement and undermined freedom of international navigation.

“We must see in practice whether they will truly act on what they are saying or whether it is merely a propaganda claim,” he said. “If they do so, it would effectively mean ending a wrongful action that they initiated several weeks ago and should never have undertaken in the first place.”

Regarding negotiations, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said that exchanges of messages between the two sides remain ongoing, but stressed that “a final understanding has not been reached.”

Baqaei also stated that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to hostile military vessels, while commercial shipping continues to pass through the strategic waterway in coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Addressing the future management of the Strait of Hormuz, he said the issue falls within the jurisdiction of its littoral states, namely Iran and Oman.

Asked about nuclear-related issues, Baqaei said Tehran’s current priority is bringing an end to the war, adding that he had no comment on matters related to uranium enrichment or Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.

The United States and Israel launched a war of aggression against the country on February 28, carrying out airstrikes that targeted and martyred senior Iranian officials and military commanders, including the leader of the revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

In response, the Iranian Armed Forces launched sustained missile and drone operations against targets in the Israeli-occupied territories, as well as US military bases and assets across the region.

Iran also imposed restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz for 'hostile forces and their allies' following the outbreak of the conflict. The measures were further tightened after Washington announced a blockade of Iranian vessels and ports, which Tehran said violated the terms of a ceasefire brokered by Pakistan and implemented on April 8.