Iran has sent a new nuclear proposal to the United States through Qatar, but Tehran wants Washington to meet seven demands before discussions can move forward, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday, November 5.
The official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the US was reviewing the proposal but did not share details about its contents. The development comes as mediators continue efforts to end the war between Iran and the US, amid concerns that fighting could resume after the November midterm elections.
Iran has linked further negotiations to its demands, while the US has maintained that nuclear issues must be part of any initial talks.
Iran sets seven conditions before nuclear talks
Iran's top security official Mohsen Rezaei also spoke about Tehran's conditions during a visit to Russia on Thursday. He said the country had already presented seven demands to Washington and would not resume negotiations until they were met.
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{{/usCountry}}"On the issue of diplomacy, we have announced seven conditions to the Americans. As long as they do not execute our seven conditions, we will neither open the Strait of Hormuz nor have negotiations," Rezaei said.
Iran's demands include the removal of US sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets and war reparations. Tehran has also linked the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to the fulfilment of its conditions.
US and Iran continue indirect diplomatic efforts
The latest proposal comes as mediators step up efforts to end the war between Iran and the US. Qatar has been involved in passing messages between the two sides as diplomatic efforts continue.
The conflict began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Tehran responded with strikes on Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military bases.
Fighting also spread to Lebanon, where Israel clashed with Iran-backed Hezbollah, and Yemen, where the Iran-aligned Houthis carried out attacks on energy facilities, airports and other targets in Saudi Arabia.
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US President Donald Trump has not ruled out restarting military operations against Iran after the midterm elections. Tehran has also warned that it would expand its retaliation if fighting resumes.
Washington has maintained that Iran's nuclear programme must be part of any initial negotiations. Tehran, however, wants the US to meet its seven demands before moving forward with talks.