KEY POINTS
- Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran would not resume negotiations with Washington until its conditions are met.
- His comments followed US President Donald Trump’s statement that Iran wanted a deal and that talks could resume.
- Rezaei urged Iranians to disregard what he described as conflicting signals from Trump.
- A June 18 MoU had set a 60 day period for the two countries to negotiate a final agreement.
- The status of the talks remains uncertain following renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran.
MAIN STORY
Iran has ruled out a return to negotiations with the United States unless Washington meets conditions set by Tehran, adding uncertainty to efforts to revive talks between the two countries.
Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, made the position known in a post on X on Tuesday, responding to recent remarks by US President Donald Trump.
Trump had said on Monday that Tehran wanted to reach an agreement quickly and that Washington could resume negotiations with Iran.
“The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Rezaei rejected the suggestion that talks were imminent and urged Iranians not to be distracted by what he described as Trump’s conflicting statements, including his comments about negotiations.
He also pointed to the strategic importance of oil and the straits, warning that recent developments had altered the situation.
“The stakes around oil and the straits have changed. Damage control won’t stop what’s coming,” he said.
Rezaei then made Tehran’s position on negotiations explicit.
“No talks until Iran’s conditions are met. Period!” he stressed.
The latest exchange comes against the backdrop of a June 18 memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States aimed at ending the regional conflict on all fronts, including Lebanon.
The agreement had provided for negotiations between the two countries within 60 days, with the period ending on August 17 and intended to produce a final agreement.
However, the planned talks have not produced a clear outcome, with the process facing renewed uncertainty following a series of escalations between Iran and the United States.
THE ISSUES
- The conflicting statements from Washington and Tehran leave the status of direct negotiations uncertain, despite the earlier agreement setting a timetable for talks.
- Iran’s latest position indicates that any resumption of negotiations would depend on conditions being met before talks begin.
- Oil supplies and the security of strategic waterways have become part of the latest exchange, adding an economic and regional dimension to the diplomatic dispute.
- The June 18 agreement provided a defined period for negotiations, but the subsequent escalations have complicated the process and left the planned final agreement unresolved.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly.” – Donald Trump, US President
“The stakes around oil and the straits have changed. Damage control won’t stop what’s coming.” – Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council
“No talks until Iran’s conditions are met. Period!” – Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council
WHAT’S NEXT
The immediate status of negotiations between Iran and the United States remains unclear. Any further talks would depend on whether the conditions cited by Tehran can be addressed.
BOTTOM LINE
Iran says it will not return to negotiations with the United States until its conditions are met, despite Trump’s indication that Washington could resume talks. The June agreement’s proposed negotiation timeline has already passed amid renewed tensions.
