Iran warned of 'painful strikes' if the United States launches fresh attack as it conveyed a set of conditions to Trump administration through Qatari mediators for ending the ongoing war and returning to negotiations.
âWe will confront America with greater force, and with more numerous and more painful strikes,â Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council told Aljazeera.
Rezaei said Tehran was seeking an end to hostilities on all fronts, including attacks involving the United States and its allies in the region. Iran has also demanded the release of its frozen overseas funds, an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and the cessation of US attacks on Iranian territory.
âIt is in Washington's interest to accept these conditions. Trump's threats will not achieve any results. We are prepared for a decisive war,â said the security chief.
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Tehran is further seeking an end to what it describes as US interference in Iran's internal affairs, including American cooperation with groups opposed to the Islamic Republic. Iranian officials have also called for recognition of Iran's rights and implementation of previous US commitments.
Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until those conditions and Washington's commitments were fulfilled. The strategically important waterway is a major route for global energy shipments.
The demands broadly overlap with provisions contained in a June 17 US-Iran memorandum of understanding, which included ending the conflict, respecting Iran's sovereignty, lifting naval restrictions and releasing frozen Iranian assets.
That earlier understanding also included proposals for a $300 billion US-backed reconstruction programme, guarantees that Iran would not acquire or develop nuclear weapons, reopening the Strait of Hormuz for shipping, US waivers for Iranian oil exports and certain services, no new US sanctions and no additional US troop deployments in the region.
Al Jazeera reported that war reparations, previously sought by Iran, were not mentioned in Rezaei's latest conditions.
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Washington had not publicly responded to the new demands at the time of the report. Rezaei said Tehran was awaiting US acceptance and implementation, while warning that Iran remained prepared for further conflict if negotiations failed or additional strikes were launched.
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