Iran Gives 5 Days to US to Accept Conditions for Resuming Negotiations

Iran has given the United States a four-to-five-day timeframe to respond to Tehran’s conditions for restarting negotiations and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to remarks by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei. The statement comes as indirect US-Iran contacts continue on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Rezaei said Iran would not resume negotiations or reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are accepted by Washington. He indicated that Tehran expects the process to move within several days, while saying the next steps would depend on how the United States responds.

Iran has previously communicated its main conditions to the United States through mediators, including Qatar. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the conditions include an end to US military action, an end to the naval blockade, an end to the war on all fronts and the release of frozen or restricted Iranian assets. 

These demands were also conveyed during indirect contacts involving Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US representatives through Qatari mediation in New York. The talks represented a renewed diplomatic channel after weeks of limited direct engagement between Washington and Tehran. 

Strait of Hormuz Remains Central

The Strait of Hormuz has become one of the most important issues in the negotiations because of its role in global energy transportation. Iran has linked the reopening of the waterway to changes in US military pressure and the naval blockade.

A senior Iranian official previously told Reuters that Tehran could reopen the Strait within seven days if Washington eased military pressure and lifted its blockade on Iranian ports and vessels. The same official said Iran's delegation in New York had authority to pursue diplomacy through mediators.

The latest four-to-five-day timeframe therefore adds a more specific deadline to Iran's previously stated position. Rezaei said the conditions had already been communicated through mediators and would again be conveyed during the UN General Assembly meetings.

Diplomatic Contacts Continue

Despite the sharp disagreements, both sides have continued to communicate indirectly. On September 22, US and Iranian representatives exchanged messages through Qatari mediation in New York. Iranian officials described the discussions as an opportunity to communicate Tehran's conditions, while US officials have indicated that reaching an agreement would require further negotiations. 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also said Tehran remains open to dialogue while rejecting negotiations under what Iran considers coercive conditions. At the UN, he emphasized Iran's willingness to pursue diplomacy while maintaining its stated position. 

For now, the situation remains unresolved. Iran has tied further negotiations and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to its demands, while Washington has not accepted all of Tehran's conditions. The next several days could therefore determine whether the latest diplomatic contacts develop into a broader negotiating process or remain stalled.