Tehran’s latest message arrives as Washington weighs military options and regional leaders prepare for a meeting that could reshape the conflict.
Iran has reiterated the conditions under which it is ready to resume negotiations with the United States. Tehran is demanding an end to hostilities on all fronts, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, and the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade.
As reported by the online media outlet Radio Liberty.
Iranian Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei said this in an interview with Al Jazeera. According to him, consultations with mediators – Qatar and Pakistan – are ongoing. Tehran is awaiting a response from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Iran also insists that any peace agreement must include an end to Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Rezaei said that meeting Tehran’s demands is in Washington’s interests and that Donald Trump’s threats will not produce results.
Iran is ready for a decisive war.
Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council
Iran has made similar demands before. The country’s representatives have also stated that Iran has the right to control the movement of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Before the conflict began, around 20% of the world’s crude oil and natural gas passed through the strait.
Donald Trump said new negotiations may be possible
On September 17, Donald Trump said he was approaching an important decision on whether to resume large-scale U.S. attacks on Iran. At the same time, he said that Iran had reached out to his administration and “very much wants” to reach an agreement.
On September 15, Mohsen Rezaei ruled out the possibility of negotiations until Tehran’s demands were met.
No negotiations until Iran’s conditions are met. Period!
Mohsen Rezaei, September 15
These statements came ahead of Donald Trump’s meeting with the leaders of six Persian Gulf countries, scheduled for September 22 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Representatives of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman are expected to take part in the meeting.
According to Axios, the meeting could influence the further course of the conflict – from the resumption of diplomatic efforts to an escalation of hostilities. Donald Trump said he wanted to hear the regional leaders’ views on the next steps.
Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
Meanwhile, fighting continues in Lebanon. Israel is striking fighters from the Hezbollah group in response to rocket attacks on its territory.
Hezbollah is a group backed by Iran. It combines the functions of an armed organization and a political party and controls a significant part of southern Lebanon. The United States has designated it a terrorist organization. The European Union has placed only the group’s armed wing on its terrorist list, not its political structure.