Iran Sends Conditions for Talks to US, Demands Washington Clarify Position Soon

Tehran: Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, confirmed on Saturday that Tehran has sent its conditions for resuming talks with the United States and ending the war through Qatari and Pakistani mediators.
In an interview reported by Iran’s Mehr news agency, Rezaei said Washington must soon state its position on the conditions, and that the decision to end the war depends on it. He said US President Donald Trump’s assessment of Iran had proved completely wrong and that the war began at the instigation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He warned that Trump’s threats would achieve nothing and that Iran is fully prepared for a decisive war.
The key conditions conveyed via the Qatari mediator include:
A complete halt to military confrontation and war on all fronts
Restoration of all Iranian assets seized by the US
Immediate lifting of the naval blockade on Iranian ports
Rezaei claimed Iran’s armed forces know the weaknesses of the US military and are well equipped to face American air strikes. He said Iran recently test-fired an anti-ship missile near a US aircraft carrier to demonstrate its readiness. He added that Tehran had been forced to change its strategy toward Washington after the US withdrew from a previous agreement.
On the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Rezaei said US and Israeli aggression gives Iran grounds to withdraw, but no final decision has been made and it will depend entirely on US conduct. He said Iran currently adheres to its fatwa banning weapons of mass destruction and to its nuclear doctrine, but that the future cannot be guaranteed. On Yemen and Saudi Arabia, he said Iran wants the conflict ended.
Separately, Iranian parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Sunday that Iran’s position on the diplomatic front is “clear, logical and firm,” and that its messages and conditions have been delivered to the other side through mediators. He said there is no room to return to earlier negotiating terms or to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.