Shafaq News- Tehran
Iran will not return to negotiations or reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its seven conditions are met, Iranian National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said on Thursday, adding that Washington’s compliance with its commitments could pave the way for reopening the strategic waterway.
In a press interview, Rezaei said the memorandum of understanding had failed because the commitments were not implemented in the correct order. “This time, the order is clear, and our conditions must be implemented first,” he said.
Rezaei described the Strait of Hormuz as more than a subject for negotiations, saying it was also part of the mechanism for ensuring an agreement’s implementation. Tehran was no longer interested in agreements whose only guarantee was political goodwill, he added.
On maritime navigation, Rezaei clarified that Iran was responsible for its decisions concerning the Strait of Hormuz, while Ansarallah, also known as the Houthi movement in Yemen, was responsible for its decisions concerning the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
The Iranian official also revealed that Tehran was holding talks with Gulf states on establishing a regional security framework to prevent the region from becoming an arena for confrontation.
Meanwhile, Iran’s army unveiled its latest drone on Thursday and announced a new development phase for the Arash, which it said would double the drone’s destructive power.
Fars News Agency reported that the new drone’s official name and specifications would be announced soon. The project is part of a program aimed at strengthening the army’s operational capabilities and developing its drone systems.
According to the agency, the Arash drone, which was used in “Operations True Promise” and “Thunderbolt,” has entered a new development phase. The upgrades include doubling the warhead’s weight from 50 to 100 kilograms, improving positioning accuracy through artificial intelligence, and developing a version equipped with a jet engine.
An army drone expert said the Arash had become a family of models designed for different operational roles. The upgrades also include greater use of navigation systems that operate independently of the Global Positioning System (GPS), as well as warheads containing high explosives and incendiary materials intended to increase damage to targets.