Iran Refuses Talks With Washington Without Meeting Seven Preconditions

Conditions for talks

Iran’s senior security officials said Tehran will not negotiate with Washington unless the United States takes concrete steps to meet Iran’s seven conditions from a provisional agreement reached in June, as BBC and Reuters accounts describe. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Bagheri said, "Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz and ships that pass through 'unsafe' routes," and he added that "as long as America continues its actions, we will not see security return to this waterway." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Mojtaba Khamenei issued directives to end the state of 'no war and no peace,' and he said, "We can negotiate with dignity and end the matter with dignity."

Iran refuses talks3 of 6 outlets reported it · not in Aajil and 2 more▾

Iran’s position also tied negotiations to sanctions and blockade, as Mehr News Agency argued that any agreement would require the reduction of sanctions and concessions connected with the Strait of Hormuz. CNN Arabic reported that Trump told CNN on Sunday that renewed U.S. military strikes are "extremely unlikely" if Tehran makes progress toward a deal on its nuclear program and toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Reporting for this sectionBBCMehr News Agency

Rubio, Trump and mediation

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that negotiations with Iran have made only modest progress and he does not see an imminent breakthrough, and he described Iran’s demands as 'unacceptable,' and at times 'shocking, silly, and completely unrealistic.'

Rubio on progress4 of 6 outlets reported it · not in https and 1 more▾

CNN Arabic said Trump told '60 Minutes' that he 'is not seeking' to escalate the war, while it also quoted Trump saying that if he were asked to make the decision again, his answer would be 'Yes, and definitely.'

Qatar’s mediation role remained central as the BBC said Qatar has played a pivotal mediator role between Washington and Tehran, conveying proposals and seeking to bridge differences over the Iranian nuclear program and the terms for ending the conflict.

The BBC also said the White House schedule shows President Donald Trump is set to meet the Qatari Prime Minister in the White House, and it named Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani as the expected counterpart.

Trump meets Qatar PM4 of 6 outlets reported it · not in https and 1 more▾

Mehr News Agency framed Blinken’s remarks as acknowledging that Washington cannot reach an agreement with Iran merely from demanding and imposing its own conditions, and it said Blinken emphasized that concessions would be required in connection with the Strait of Hormuz.

Reporting for this sectionBBCCNN Arabic

Strait of Hormuz timeline

Iran said it is prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if its demands are met, and Monte Carlo Internationale quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baqi saying the two-days proposal remains on the table. Monte Carlo Internationale reported that Iran’s readiness was conditioned on lifting sanctions, ending the maritime blockade, and stopping military operations on all fronts, while it said Iran’s plan envisions Washington meeting the preconditions before the Strait would be reopened and maritime navigation resumed. The BBC said Bagheri told a press conference in Tehran that ships that want to pass must coordinate with Iranian authorities and that Iran controls the enemy's drones and shoots them down.

Al Arabiya FM’s Nabil Al-Atoum said the nuclear file is the main knot in the negotiations between Iran and the United States, and he described Tehran’s demands as “extremely difficult.” Al Okaz reported a Qatari-Pakistani proposal that would allow uranium enrichment at a rate of 3.67%, and it said sources claimed Washington would release Iranian assets valued between $6 billion and $9 billion while the Strait of Hormuz would be opened and the naval blockade lifted immediately.