No Talks Until All Conditions Are Met: Iran Stands Firm on Seven Demands, Refuses to Move Uranium

Iran has again made its hard line clear: all of Tehran's conditions must be met before it sits down to any talks with the United States. Major General Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said there will be no negotiations with the United States until every one of Iran's conditions is fulfilled. Tehran says Washington must first take steps to rebuild trust.

In a statement posted on the social media platform X on Tuesday (20 October), Rezaei set out that position. His remarks suggest Iran is not slamming the door on talks, but that the key to opening it now lies with Washington — sitting at the table without real steps to restore trust would be meaningless.

According to a Press TV report, Tehran sent seven conditions to the United States last month through Qatari mediators. It was through this Qatari mediation channel that the two sides had been exchanging indirect messages.

Among the seven conditions are an end to fighting on all fronts, the release of Iran's frozen funds, and the lifting of the naval blockade imposed on the country. None of these demands is new, but Tehran has now tied them firmly as preconditions for any talks.

Rezaei described the response from US President Donald Trump's administration as inadequate. In other words, the reply from Washington failed to meet Tehran's expectations, which explains Iran's tougher tone.

Rezaei repeated the same message on Tuesday in Tehran during a meeting with Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir. He told the meeting that talks will not move forward unless Washington takes steps to rebuild trust, and claimed there is consensus on this among both the Iranian people and officials.

Rezaei also flatly rejected the American demand that Iran's enriched uranium be taken out of the country. He said not a single gram of enriched uranium will be removed from Iran. In his words, this nuclear material is the property of the Iranian people and will be used inside the country.

The dispute with Washington over Iran's nuclear programme is one of the main obstacles to talks. The United States has long demanded that Iran significantly reduce its uranium enrichment capability. Tehran, for its part, remains firm on keeping control of its nuclear programme and its enriched uranium.

Iran has also stressed the fulfilment of its conditions when it comes to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran says that before this waterway — vital for the world's energy trade — is opened, the United States must accept its demands, including lifting the blockade.

The stance signals that tensions between the two countries may drag on further. Whether diplomatic talks resume now depends on Washington's next step.

Yet a deep trust deficit between the two countries and their differences over the nuclear programme remain major barriers on the road to talks. Observers will now watch whether Washington takes any trust-restoring step, and whether the Qatari mediation channel becomes active again.