Iran outlines conditions for ending conflict with United States
Iran's security chief said Tehran has sent new demands to the United States via Qatar, including lifting sanctions and ending the naval blockade, while the United States has not yet responded.
Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei told Al Jazeera that Tehran has communicated a set of conditions to the United States through Qatari mediators. The demands include an end to hostilities on all fronts, the release of frozen Iranian funds, the lifting of the naval blockade on Iranian ports, cessation of U.S. interference in Iran's internal affairs, and an end to U.S. attacks on Iranian territory. Rezaei added that Iran is prepared to increase the force of its strikes if the United States does not accept the terms.
The statements come as the 60-day memorandum of understanding between the two countries expired in May and attacks in the Strait of Hormuz have intensified, pushing oil prices above $100 a barrel. Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reiterated that the Strait will remain closed until Washington fulfills the listed commitments.
Analysts noted that the new demands are largely similar to those in the June agreement, but the timing and public delivery through Qatar represent a shift in strategy. They said Iran is seeking to place pressure on the United States ahead of upcoming U.S. elections.
The United States has not publicly responded to the latest Iranian conditions. It issued a travel advisory urging citizens in several Middle-East countries to exercise heightened vigilance amid a complex security environment.