US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on Sunday (May 10th) that President Donald Trump is continuing diplomacy with Iran despite ongoing tensions and sporadic military exchanges in the Persian Gulf.
Waltz said the decision on whether to resume military action rests entirely with Trump.
“(It’s) up to President Trump as commander in chief to determine what constitutes a violation, when to go back to military action or when to give diplomacy a chance,” Waltz told ABC News.
The comments came after Trump said the ceasefire with Iran had not been violated despite both sides firing around the Strait of Hormuz.
“Give diplomacy every chance”
Waltz said the Trump administration remains open to negotiations, especially after Pakistan’s mediation efforts.
“When the mediators, in this case Pakistan, ask us … to give this negotiation another chance before we go back to bombing Iran, then I think that’s a completely appropriate choice for President Trump,” Waltz said.
“It gives diplomacy every possible chance before we go back to hostilities.”
Iranian state media said on Sunday that Tehran had submitted its response to the latest US ceasefire proposal through Pakistani mediators, although details of the response were not released.
US pushes for UN action over Hormuz blockade
Waltz also said Washington was pushing for a new UN resolution condemning Iran’s obstruction of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
In an interview with Fox News, Waltz accused Tehran of threatening global economic stability.
“We cannot and the world should not tolerate an Iranian regime that is trying to strangle the entire world economy, holding everyone hostage over a dispute over its nuclear program,” Waltz said.
He accused Iran of deploying sea mines and targeting commercial shipping lanes.
“It cannot just start indiscriminately dropping sea mines into the ocean and attacking shipping,” he added.
Waltz also claimed that Iranian state television discussed targeting underwater communications infrastructure.
“They’ve even started talking about it now on Iranian state television, about running undersea cables that carry financial data, cloud information and all kinds of important economic information to and from the Gulf,” he said.
More than 70 countries support the UN proposal
According to Waltz, more than 70 countries support a proposed UN resolution aimed at preventing any nation from blocking international waterways.
“We have more than 70 co-sponsors of this latest UN resolution targeting sea mines, tolls and other illegal and unacceptable actions by Iran,” he said.
He defended the government’s timetable for diplomacy, saying the crisis reflected decades of unresolved tensions with Tehran.
“I think we should take a step back — 50 days to deal with a 50-year-old problem,” Waltz said.
“This is not the first time that Iran has threatened or actually done this.
The US proposal focuses on reopening the strait
The U.S. proposed a phased deal that would see Iran gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz while the U.S. lifts its blockade of Iranian ports within 30 days.
The current proposal reportedly does not directly address Iran’s nuclear program, although negotiators are expected to discuss Tehran’s stockpile of enriched uranium during subsequent talks.
The Trump administration has repeatedly stated that the main goal remains to prevent Iran from acquiring the ability to produce a nuclear weapon.
However, Iran continues to insist that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and denies that it is seeking nuclear weapons.
Iranian state media said on Sunday that Tehran had delivered its response to the US proposal for a possible end to the war through Pakistani intermediaries, although no details of the response were released.
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