Iran: No agreement with Washington soon to end the war
Diplomatic efforts to end the war between Iran and the United States are stalling, with Tehran insisting on its conditions regarding the Strait of Hormuz and sanctions, and refusing to concede. A senior Iranian official says the two sides are far from understanding, amid Qatari mediation. The speaker of the Iranian parliament describes Iran's response to Washington as 'strong and rational,' warning of a US strategic mistake that could open a new front.
Diplomatic efforts to end the war between Iran and the United States are stalling, as Tehran insists on its conditions and refuses to concede its demands related to the Strait of Hormuz and sanctions, while Washington keeps the military option open. A senior Iranian official said that Tehran and Washington are still far from reaching an understanding, explaining that mediators are working to narrow the gap between the two sides, following a visit by a Qatari delegation to Tehran to discuss a draft agreement that has been under negotiation for eight days. The official stressed that reopening the Strait of Hormuz is conditional on meeting Iranian demands, which include lifting sanctions on oil exports, ending the US naval blockade, and releasing frozen Iranian assets. The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, announced that Iran had delivered a response to Washington that he described as 'strong and rational,' considering the ball to be in the American court and that the responsibility for avoiding war lies with the United States. Ghalibaf warned that any US step he described as a strategic mistake could open a new front of confrontation. Meanwhile, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, considered the US response to Iranian demands unconvincing, demanding that Washington deal with the seven Iranian conditions fully and explicitly.