Arab News | Iran to Pakistan’s army chief: No talks with Washington before our demands are met

Cairo: Iranian media reported that Tehran informed Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir on Tuesday that there would be no talks with Washington until its demands are met, reinforcing its position despite mediation efforts by Islamabad.

The Iranian news agency Nour News stated that President Masoud Bezhakian discussed mediation efforts and regional developments during a meeting in Tehran with Munir.

Pakistan is a key mediator between the United States and Iran.

Previous mediation efforts led to the signing of a temporary peace agreement in June.

However, the “Islamabad memorandum” quickly faltered with renewed fighting between Iran and the United States just weeks after its signing.

Munir also met with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

An Iranian statement regarding the meeting indicated that the Iranian official emphasized that Washington would not be able to gain Tehran’s trust unless it meets the seven conditions proposed last month for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian conditions include ending the US blockade of its ports, lifting sanctions on its oil exports, and ending hostilities on all fronts in the region.

The Secretary-General of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, conveyed a similar message during a separate meeting with Munir, stating that there would be no talks with Washington until Tehran’s demands are met.

Rezaei also mentioned that all enriched nuclear materials would remain in Iran, reaffirming the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s position that uranium enriched to weapon-grade levels should not be sent abroad.

US Vice President JD Vance stated this month that Iran must significantly reduce its uranium enrichment capacity to meet US demands and end the ongoing war between the two countries that has lasted for eight months.

Israel, the United States, and other Western countries have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, pointing to its uranium enrichment at 60 percent, a level far higher than what is needed for civilian uses and closer to the 90 percent required to produce a weapon.

Iran denies seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.