Tehran, April 18: Iran will not transfer its enriched uranium to a foreign country, and sending it to the United States has never been under consideration, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.

Baghaei, speaking on state-run IRIB television, said that recent public statements by Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi were made within the framework of the ceasefire between Iran and the United States announced on April 8, not as signals of a new diplomatic opening.

Earlier on Friday, Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz would remain “completely open” to commercial shipping for the duration of the current truce between Iran and the United States, Xinhua news agency reported.

Baghaei moved to clarify the foreign minister’s position, saying that following a ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday, Tehran chose to apply safe-passage conditions outlined in its agreement with Washington to vessels transiting the strait.

“We have reached no new agreement,” he said. “The ceasefire agreement is the one announced on April 8.”

He accused the United States of failing, from the outset of the truce, to honor a commitment to extend its terms to Lebanon, a provision Iran insists was included in the April 8 agreement. Washington and Jerusalem have rejected that characterization.

Baghaei also warned that Iran would take “countermeasures” if a United States naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz persisted. He said no talks on extending the ceasefire had taken place, and that mediation efforts led by Pakistan remained focused on ending the conflict and protecting Iran’s interests.

Iran tightened its grip on the strait beginning February 28, when it barred safe passage to vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following joint strikes on Iranian territory. The United States subsequently imposed its own blockade, preventing ships traveling to and from Iranian ports from transiting the waterway after peace negotiations in Islamabad collapsed over the weekend.

Axios reported Friday, citing people familiar with the talks, that a second round of United States-Iran negotiations is expected to take place in Pakistan this weekend, most likely on Sunday.

Paris, April 18: French President Emmanuel Macron said that Iran’s announcement of reopening the Strait of Hormuz goes in the right direction.

Macron made the remarks in a joint declaration following a conference co-hosted by France and Britain in Paris on Friday (local time), which brought together 49 countries to discuss securing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attended the meeting, while officials from across Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East joined by video conference, reports Xinhua news agency.

Macron welcomed the ceasefire in Iran and Lebanon, describing it as a positive development. However, he stressed that it’s necessary to remain vigilant.

“We all oppose any restriction, any agreement regime that would effectively amount to an attempt to privatise the strait, and obviously any toll system,” he said.

He also announced that a neutral, independent mission would be set up to ensure the openness of the Strait of Hormuz, noting that a planning meeting was scheduled for the following week in London.

Starmer, for his part, expressed the hope that talks would resume and a lasting agreement would be reached.

He said France and Britain will lead a multinational mission to safeguard shipping as soon as conditions allow, noting that the mission will be strictly defensive and intended to reassure shipping and support mine-clearing operations.

Around a dozen countries were ready to contribute assets to the defensive mission, Starmer noted.

Meloni said that it was necessary to ensure the absence of mines and guarantee the safety of vessels transiting through the strait in order to reassure the maritime shipping sector, adding that Italy stood ready to deploy its naval units in a strictly defensive posture.

Germany “will participate in the ongoing military planning discussions” and “we would welcome, if possible, participation from the United States,” Merz said.

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday sought the state government’s stand on the shifting position taken by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) regarding land required for the expansion of a sewage treatment plant (STP) at Worli.

A bench of Justices MS Karnik and SM Modak directed the BMC to make a formal representation to the state government by April 20, seeking modification of the land requirement from 17,750 sq m to 27,700 sq m. The court said the state must place its response on record by April 27, the next date of hearing.

During the hearing, the court observed that public interest would outweigh competing claims and emphasised the need for clarity on the state’s position at the earliest.

“Once the state informs its decision, we will consider the matter. If the state says whatever has been done is correct, then nothing further remains,” the bench noted.

The issue pertains to a land parcel off Dr E Moses Road, originally reserved for the STP. While around 27,700 sq m was initially earmarked, the requirement was reduced to about 17,750 sq m in June 2024. The BMC has now proposed reverting to the original larger area, citing increased demand for sewage processing.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Worli Urban Development Project LLP (formerly Lokhandwala DB Realty LLP), which is redeveloping slum societies on the site.

The developer had approached the court following stop-work notices issued by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority over alleged unauthorised construction of transit camps.

BMC counsel informed the court that the revised proposal would be placed before the state shortly. Senior advocate Aspi Chinoy, appearing for the developer, alleged mala fides in the civic body’s changing stance, claiming delays were causing financial losses.