Iran says no US talks until demands met
File photo: REUTERS
Iranian media reported on Tuesday that Iran informed Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, that Tehran will hold no talks with Washington until the US fulfills Iranian demands.
According to Nournews, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with Field Marshal Asim Munir in Tehran to review ongoing mediation initiatives and regional developments, highlighting Tehran’s firm stance despite active diplomatic intervention by key intermediary Pakistan.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed American media outlets that securing a peace agreement with Iran remains exceptionally difficult. He emphasized that Washington will maintain economic pressure until Tehran halts attacks against commercial shipping vessels navigating through the Strait of Hormuz.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added that Washington stands prepared to execute additional military actions against Iran, stressing, “we want to make sure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”
At the same time, Pezeshkian said the US must dismantle all economic pressure, threats, and sanctions prior to initiating any dialogue, noting that Tehran “does not trust America.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi affirmed that the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed until Washington agrees to Tehran’s conditions, while indirect negotiations persist via Pakistan and Qatar.
Pakistan serves as a key intermediary connecting the US and Iran. Although earlier mediation efforts facilitated an interim peace pact in June, the Islamabad Memorandum rapidly collapsed when hostilities between US and Iranian forces reignited weeks later.
During his visit, Munir also conferred with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. An official Iranian meeting readout revealed that Qalibaf warned Washington cannot rebuild Tehran’s trust without satisfying seven specific conditions that Iran outlined last month to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
These mandates require ending the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, removing sanctions targeting Iranian crude oil exports, and ceasing military hostilities across all regional fronts.
In a distinct session with Munir, Iranian Security Chief Mohsen Rezaei reinforced this position, declaring that no discussions with Washington will occur until the US meets Tehran’s stipulations, according to Iranian press reports.
Rezaei confirmed that Iran will retain all enriched nuclear materials domestically, reiterating Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s directive prohibiting the overseas transfer of near-weapons-grade uranium.
Earlier, US Vice President JD Vance said Iran must execute a “meaningful” curtailment of its uranium enrichment capacity to meet US requirements and bring an end to the eight-month-long conflict between the two nations.
Israel, the US, and allied Western powers have consistently accused Tehran of pursuing nuclear armaments, highlighting Iran’s escalation to 60% uranium enrichment—a level exceeding civilian energy requirements and approaching the 90% threshold necessary for weapons-grade material. Iran continues to deny all allegations of seeking nuclear weapons.
Source: Reuters and Al Jazeera (adapted)
