Iran sets conditions for U.S. talks

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, said Tehran will not return to its previous diplomatic approach toward the United States and warned that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed unless Washington meets Iran’s conditions. In a post on X, he said Iran has entered a new strategic phase and that the United States must respect the rights of the Iranian people. He urged Washington to stop talking and take action.

Rezaei’s remarks came after Donald Trump renewed threats against Iran at the United Nations, saying the Islamic Republic could be “annihilated” if it refused a deal. Iranian officials have rejected those threats and say any negotiations must be preceded by concrete steps from the United States. Rezaei said Iran is now pursuing diplomacy based on strength and will not return to the pre-war framework that existed before the conflict with Israel.

He said Iran has presented seven conditions for resolving the crisis created by the war and that these demands were relayed to Washington through regional intermediaries, including Pakistan and Qatar.

Separately, footage and images posted on social media by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan showed a meeting between Seyed Abbas Araqchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, that took place on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

“The two counterparts discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments,” the Ministry’s post stated. Pakistan has played a key mediator role between the US and Iran since the conflict erupted, but it remains unclear if de-escalation talks have been discussed in this meeting.