Iran rejects US reply on war terms as Hormuz remains closed

Stalled Talks

Efforts to end the war in West Asia and reopen the Strait of Hormuz remain stuck after Tehran called Washington's latest reply insufficient. Iran's security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, said the United States has accepted some of Iran's seven conditions while other points remain unclear. Rezaei, who serves as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and is a former Revolutionary Guard commander, stated that Iran is no longer replying to the Americans and that Washington must clarify the unclear points.

Demands And Threats

While Rezaei has not made public all seven conditions or the ones rejected by the US, previous statements to Al Jazeera show the demands include an end to the war on all fronts, the release of frozen Iranian funds, and the lifting of the US naval blockade. Iran put the plan forward during the UN General Assembly, and the US replied through Qatari go-betweens. Rezaei also threatened regional data centers, cables, and artificial intelligence facilities if fighting intensifies again. Meanwhile, the Guard's navy warned that any ship in the strait that turns off navigation and identification systems will be treated as hostile.

Context

The conflict began at the end of February with US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Before the war, about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.