Iran Holds Firm on War Demands Amidst Escalating US Military Pressure

Tehran, Iran – Despite increased strikes by the United States, the Iranian government maintains that this pressure will not alter its demands for ending the war. Ahmad Nafisi, deputy governor for Hormozgan, confirmed that the southern island of Qeshm was targeted in overnight US strikes, but reported no damage to residential, commercial areas, or vital infrastructure. While the US has not directly acknowledged these specific air strikes, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described similar recent strikes on Qeshm as "defensive." Previous US attacks, including one acknowledged by President Donald Trump on Friday, have primarily targeted Iranian air defense and radar installations.

Mediators are actively working to avert large-scale US attacks on Iran, which Trump has frequently threatened, with ongoing diplomatic talks. However, Washington appears unwilling to accept Iran's seven-point peace proposal. This proposal includes the lifting of the US blockade on Iran's southern ports and the removal of sanctions on Tehran.

Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Monday refuted Rubio's characterization of some of Iran's demands as "ridiculous and really not realistic." Baghaei asserted, "Iran’s plan is still the most logical plan on the table. I think it can lead to security returning to the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, and create the grounds for a process." He stated this during a news conference in Tehran. The core of Iran's terms largely reflects a return to the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in June, with added stipulations concerning the future of the Strait of Hormuz.

Baghaei also commented on the US announcement of a reward of up to $20 million for information regarding Iran’s nuclear program, calling it a tactic by the Trump administration to suggest the Iranian nuclear issue remains a threat, particularly following significant Republican defeats in the midterm elections. Iran maintains it will not relinquish its highly enriched uranium, believed to be stored at facilities previously bombed by the US and Israel. However, Tehran has expressed openness to downblending the material, a process necessary for nuclear bomb construction.

International inspectors have limited access to Iranian nuclear sites, with the exception of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which the Foreign Ministry noted had a recent inspection. Iran has accused the International Atomic Energy Agency and its director, Rafael Grossi, of exceeding their technical mandate and facilitating attacks on nuclear facilities during the past year's 12-day war and the current conflict. Images show vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas on September 7, 2026.

Despite signs of potential breakthroughs in mediation, including reports of a planned meeting between Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani at the White House, experts remain cautious. Andreas Krieg, an associate professor at King’s College London, told Al Jazeera that a primary US objection to the ongoing talks is Iran's demand for concessions before offering substantive compromises. Krieg noted, "Reopening Hormuz within two days sounds accommodating, but it changes the timetable rather than the substance of the bargain." He added that neither the US nor Iran's Arab neighbors would likely accept long-term Iranian-controlled shipping corridors in the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio and other US officials also oppose Iran's demand for a cessation of hostilities across the region, as it would limit Israel's military options. "Iran is going beyond a ceasefire, trying to translate its wartime leverage into a new regional security arrangement on its own terms," Krieg explained.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated on Sunday that Israel's military mission in Iran is incomplete and threatened Lebanon’s Hezbollah with further territorial losses if it joined an Iranian offensive. Iranian authorities continue to warn ships in the Strait of Hormuz against using "unauthorised" routes, citing potential attacks. Hossein Mohebbi, spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), rejected US claims that all naval mines have been cleared from the Strait of Hormuz, stating, "Nobody dares enter the Strait of Hormuz to remove the mines."

Iranian state television reported on Monday that 11 tankers have been attacked in the past 10 days, with four rendered unable to continue transit. IRGC-affiliated media cited an unnamed IRGC Navy source claiming that maritime navigation systems in the southern Strait of Hormuz were targeted overnight, disrupting the US-coordinated oil shuttle system. President Trump downplayed the likelihood of a full-scale war with Iran on Sunday but noted that the US military has identified civilian infrastructure, such as 38 bridges, as potential targets should the conflict escalate. Krieg anticipates Tehran will continue its strategy of "controlled escalation" rather than immediate retaliation, suggesting that new US efforts to disrupt Iran's overland trade will reinforce this approach. "Tehran will increasingly seek to make the Gulf states bear the economic consequences of Washington’s decisions, hoping they will pressure Trump towards compromise," Krieg commented. He concluded, "Washington may believe it is conducting a limited campaign of coercion, while Tehran increasingly sees an unrestricted economic war against its survival. At some point, Iran may decide that the costs of continued restraint exceed the risks of escalation."