Iran Conveys Terms to US via Qatar to End Conflict and Resume Talks

Iran has transmitted a formal set of conditions to Washington through Qatari mediators aimed at concluding the ongoing conflict with the United States, according to the country’s security chief.

“We remain in contact with the mediator Qatar, which has conveyed our conditions to Washington with the aim of ending the war. We are awaiting President Donald Trump’s response,” Mohsen Rezaei told Al Jazeera’s Tehran bureau chief, Nour Eddine Edghir, in an exclusive interview on Saturday.

“Our conditions are an end to the war on all fronts, the release of our frozen funds and an end to the naval blockade,” said Rezaei, who assumed the role of secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council roughly a month ago. “It is in Washington’s interest to accept these conditions. Trump’s threats will not achieve any results. We are prepared for a decisive war.”

Mediators Qatar and Pakistan have worked to restart negotiations after their memorandum of understanding (MoU) expired last month. Regional actors have also pursued a resolution to the conflict that commenced when the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in late February, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Rezaei did not dismiss the possibility of a new US strike against Iran, terming the prospect “very much on the cards” according to military evaluations, though he maintained Tehran was prepared. He noted that Iran’s military planning has evolved since two prior rounds of conflict, now centering on US naval assets ranging from the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, while targets further toward the Indian Ocean remain beyond Iranian reach.

Rezaei stated that Iran recently test-fired a multi-warhead antiship missile near a US vessel or aircraft carrier, noting that the warheads could see further development. He also warned that any future Iranian response would be severe, targeting regional US bases as seen in past rounds, alongside local US commercial interests and companies.

Asked if the war would conclude shortly, he stated that “in practical terms the war is still going on,” while emphasizing that Tehran is operating under a new strategy “to bring this war to an end as soon as possible.”

Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, characterized Rezaei’s statements as part of a “two-sided, twofold message” balancing openness to diplomacy with continued war preparations. David Des Roches, a former Pentagon director of Arabian Peninsula affairs, told Al Jazeera that Washington would likely view the terms as surrender rather than a serious opening, though he highlighted Tehran's omission of earlier demands for war reparations.

Regarding the expired MoU, Rezaei rejected US claims that Tehran violated the agreement by targeting an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, stating Iranian actions followed US strikes on Bandar Abbas and a local surveillance platform. He maintained that any agreement necessitated dispute resolution through a committee established by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and US Vice President JD Vance, which Washington unilaterally abandoned.

On Iran’s nuclear program, Rezaei stated that Tehran has not elected to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty despite potential grounds following US and Israeli attacks, though he cautioned that Washington’s actions “may push Tehran into withdrawing.” He added that Iran continues to adhere to a fatwa from former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini banning nuclear weapons, though future developments remain uncertain.

Rezaei denied Iranian involvement in Yemen’s war, offering Tehran's services as a mediator while stating the country did not exploit the conflict for political gain. He also dismissed speculation regarding Iran closing the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, asserting the waterway is a Yemeni matter tied to the Houthi movement. Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Rezaei said a potential agreement with Oman had nearly been finalized before being shelved.