Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war status following the conflict involving the US and Israel, Al Jazeera reported.
Ghalibaf said Iran and Oman reached an understanding to oversee the critical waterway as part of a seven-point peace proposal.
“There are no ‘free waters’ there, and the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea does not apply to the strait … The regulations within the Strait of Hormuz are governed by the laws of the two littoral states that border it,” Ghalibaf told Al Jazeera.
The conflict effectively closed the vital shipping lane, which Iran tied to Washington’s actions. The Hill said that the US has rejected these conditions, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushing back against the demands during a trip to Paris.
Seven Peace Conditions
Tehran delivered a clear response to the US through a Qatari mediator outlining seven conditions for peace talks, according to Anadolu Ajansı. Ghalibaf said the ball is now in the American court.
The conditions include lifting the US-imposed naval blockade and oil sanctions, releasing frozen Iranian funds, ending fighting on all fronts, and issuing an explicit announcement that the war has ended. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei defended the demands at a weekly press conference covered by The Jerusalem Post.
“Is it unreasonable that Iran demands that US illegal sanctions and its naval blockade must be lifted before negotiations start and that the war should end on all fronts?” Baghaei told reporters, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Mediation efforts reduced the proposed response period from an earlier seven-day proposal down to two days. Ghalibaf said those demands were part of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding signed in June.
Lack of trust hinders diplomatic progress
“What stands in the way of an agreement is our lack of trust in the United States,” Ghalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator, said. Ghalibaf argued that US officials previously asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to mediate direct negotiations during a visit to Moscow. Rubio told reporters ahead of a G7 foreign ministers meeting that the US remains open to a diplomatic solution.
“I have no progress to report. There are several countries that continue to engage with Iran and put forward various ideas, but I would not say that we are on the verge of a breakthrough,” Rubio said.
Rubio added that Iran is demanding pallets of cash and reparations, which President Donald Trump’s administration will not accept. Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, accused Washington on X of manufacturing fake news regarding imaginary talks, The Hill reported.
Who is mediating the talks and what are the security agreements?
Who is mediating the talks between Washington and Tehran?
Qatar serves as the lead mediator between Washington and Tehran, facilitating messages such as Iran’s proposal.
The war on Iran has already wrecked the US government. But Washington flails like a desperate gambler. FOLD YOUR HAND. STOP manufacturing FAKE NEWS about imaginary talks. Stop denying the West Asian NEW ORDER. Time to SURRENDER to the seven conditions Iran has repeatedly set out.
What specific security agreement did Iran reach regarding the Strait of Hormuz?
Iran and Oman reached an understanding to oversee the waterway as part of Tehran’s seven-point proposal to end the conflict.
When was the Islamabad memorandum of understanding signed?
The Islamabad memorandum of understanding was signed in June, setting foundational terms that Tehran insists must be implemented before formal negotiations begin.
What did Marco Rubio say about Iran’s financial demands?
Rubio stated in Paris that Iran is demanding pallets of cash and reparations, adding that President Donald Trump’s administration has made clear those demands will not be met.