West Asia war to escalate? Here are 7 conditions that Iran has conveyed for peace talks with US; warns Trump of ‘decisive war’ if…

Iran has laid down seven conditions to the United States through Qatar for restarting negotiations aimed at ending the war, while warning that it is prepared for a “decisive war” if the US rejects its demands. This comes amid persisting indirect diplomatic initiatives alongside military tensions in the region.

This comes after US President Donald Trump signalled that he was considering several options regarding Iran. Speaking to Fox News, Trump stated that “very big things are going to happen in the not-so-distant future” and that the choices with him included “wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically or making a deal”.

What has Iran demanded?

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, asserted that Qatar had communicated Iran’s peace talks conditions to the US and that Iran is awaiting US President Donald Trump’s response. According to his remarks reported by Al Jazeera, Rezaei did not publicly reveal all seven conditions.

However, he stated three primary demands: an end to fighting on all fronts, including the broader regional conflict; the release of frozen Iranian funds; and an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports. Al Jazeera separately reported more conditions described by Rezaei, including an end to US interference in Iran’s internal affairs, an end to US shield for groups that Iran perceives as rivals, and an end to US attacks on Iranian territory.

Why is the Strait of Hormuz important?

The West Asia dispute also involves the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global energy shipments. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on September 20 that Iran would not reopen the waterway until its conditions were fulfilled and US commitments executed, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency.

This stance gives the negotiations a link to international energy and shipping. Any prolonged disruption around the strait can hamper oil transportation and raise concerns among countries relying on Gulf supplies.

Iran’s warning to the US

Rezaei said Iran seeks the war to end but cautioned that it was prepared for a “decisive war” if the US rejected its proposal conditional for peace talks. He also added that Iran’s military planning eyed US naval assets which operated from the Persian Gulf through the Gulf of Oman and into the Arabian Sea.

He further warned that a renewed US strike could cause Iran to target the US military bases in the region and US commercial interests.

Past peace talks

The new proposal follows the unsuccessful June memorandum of understanding inked through Pakistani diplomacy. The MoU targeted stopping fighting and establishing a framework for wider negotiations, but it expired in August without reaping a lasting settlement.

Thus, the fresh occurrences leave diplomacy and military pressure operating simultaneously.