TEHRAN, May 2 (Xinhua) -- A senior Iranian diplomat said Saturday that Iran has submitted its proposal for peace talks with the United States to the Pakistani mediator, and that it is up to the United States to choose between diplomacy and confrontation.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi made the remarks during a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Tehran, briefing them on Iran's latest proposal to end the war with the United States and Israel, read a statement by the Foreign Ministry.
"Iran has submitted its plan aiming to permanently end the imposed war to Pakistan as the (peace talks') mediator, and now the ball is in the U.S. court to choose between the path of diplomacy or the continuation of the confrontation-based approach," said Gharibabadi.
Iran is ready for both paths to ensure its national interests and security, he added.
Gharibabadi stressed that Iran is completely and decisively prepared to repel any "aggression" against the country and its people, noting that it has always believed in interest-based diplomacy.
The official news agency IRNA reported on Friday that Iran's new proposal for peace talks with the United States had been delivered to Pakistan the previous day.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in an interview with state-run IRIB TV on Thursday that ending the war and establishing lasting peace are Tehran's priorities in talks with the United States.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. interests in the Middle East.
A ceasefire was reached between the warring sides on April 8, and was followed by lengthy talks between Iranian and U.S. delegations in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, which failed to yield an agreement. Enditem
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