Iran Sets 3 Conditions to End War and Resume US Talks

Iran has conveyed three conditions to the United States for ending the ongoing war and resuming negotiations, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said.

Rezaei told Al Jazeera that the conditions had been conveyed to Washington through Qatari mediators and that Tehran was awaiting US President Donald Trump’s response.

Iran’s three conditions are:

• An immediate end to the war on all fronts;
• The release of Iran’s frozen funds and assets; and
• An end to the US naval blockade.

Rezaei said Qatar and Pakistan were continuing efforts to facilitate indirect contacts between Tehran and Washington. The two countries have been seeking to revive negotiations following the expiry of a memorandum of understanding aimed at halting the conflict.

He said accepting Tehran’s conditions would also serve Washington’s interests, while warning that US threats would not change Iran’s position.

Rezaei said Iran was prepared for what he described as a “decisive war” if diplomacy failed. He claimed Tehran had identified weaknesses in the US military and was better prepared to respond to potential US air strikes.

He also said Iran had recently conducted an anti-ship missile test near a US aircraft carrier and warned that any attack on Iran would prompt stronger strikes against US military bases and interests in the region.

The Iranian official criticised Washington’s policy shift and said Tehran had been forced to reassess its strategy after the United States withdrew from the earlier understanding.

Meanwhile, Rezaei called for an end to the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement, saying Iran believed the Houthis were also interested in reaching an understanding with Riyadh.

The latest Iranian conditions come as Qatar and Pakistan continue diplomatic efforts to restore indirect US-Iran negotiations. The next steps depend on Washington’s response to Tehran’s demands.