Iran stated on Tuesday that it was waiting for a reply from the United States regarding its seven peace conditions. It also dismissed rumors of ongoing negotiations with Washington. Mohsen Rezaei, Iran’s security chief, spoke to Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen television network.
Reports of diplomatic progress surfaced after US President Donald Trump stated on Monday that he observed positive momentum toward ending the conflict. He spoke after discussions at the White House with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. Qatar is acting as a mediator in the war.
Rezaei rejected claims regarding talks or meetings in Qatar as a pure fabrication. He asserted that Washington was promoting the idea of negotiations to reduce economic pressure and lower oil prices.
According to Rezaei, the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed until the US fulfills Tehran’s demands. He described the initial American reply as insufficient and deceptive. Iran awaits a clear response.
Tehran has not published the complete list of conditions. Rezaei and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the terms include lifting sanctions and the US naval blockade, alongside stopping hostilities on all fronts, particularly Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.
Araghchi stated on Tuesday that the shipping lane could reopen within two days if these requirements are satisfied. He told the state news agency IRNA that the conflict cannot be resolved through military action or harsher sanctions.
The war has entered its ninth month, disrupting global energy supplies and increasing oil and gas prices worldwide. Sheikh Mohammed met with the Saudi foreign minister and four European diplomats in Paris to discuss the crisis, following talks with US officials.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in the French capital that Washington is open to diplomacy. He repeated Trump’s stance that additional strikes are unnecessary because economic measures are achieving the same goals.
Maritime incidents continued in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that three oil tankers caught fire after hitting naval mines while navigating an unauthorized route in the eastern part of the waterway.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency confirmed receiving reports of incidents involving two tankers in the area. One vessel was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Lima village in Oman. Maritime monitoring firms recorded at least 37 ship attacks in and near the strait in November, the highest monthly total since the conflict began.
