Iran's written reply to the seven-point list of conditions put forward by the United States — conditions tied to any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — did not meet what American officials had been looking for. Negotiations over the waterway, through which a substantial share of the world's energy supply moves, remain at an impasse, with Iran yet to resolve several outstanding points of disagreement.
Rezaei, in his capacity atop Iran's Supreme National Security Council, described the American reply as falling short of what was needed, arguing that a position from the US on unresolved matters would need to be established before talks could move forward. In remarks attributed to Rezaei, the Strait of Hormuz would stay closed until a set of conditions put forward by his side had been fulfilled.
The waterway has long served as a conduit for roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, meaning Tehran's position on access carries measurable consequences for energy supply chains worldwide.
Armed clashes that started in late February — drawing in military forces from the United States and Israel against Iran — have left the situation unresolved as pressure between the parties mounts. Qatar-based intermediaries carried the response forward, serving as the channel through which the two sides have kept talks alive while efforts to end the fighting and reopen trade routes continue.
Tehran-side accounts describe the Washington offer as an effort to lay groundwork for renewed confidence between the parties, reviving a short-lived ceasefire arrangement that had previously covered tensions over Hormuz Strait navigation and Iran's atomic programme. Those with direct access to the negotiations say the friction lies in the sequencing of agreed steps, rather than in any dispute over the deal's core provisions. Negotiations have reached no resolution, with some of the terms put forward gaining acceptance while the standing of others remains unclear.
Nuclear talks tied to Iran's atomic programme are off the table in the ongoing diplomatic push to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran has made clear. Waterway security along the strategic passage stood at the forefront of priorities outlined by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, who indicated that reopening nuclear talks with the United States was not on Tehran's immediate agenda.
Araghchi conveyed that Tehran stands ready to resort to armed action should diplomatic channels break down. In meetings with foreign diplomats gathered in Tehran, he laid out a dual position: a willingness to pursue talks alongside a readiness to respond if hostilities were to resume. Akraminia, speaking as the military's spokesperson, outlined a programme to push the reach of the country's missile systems further, describing the armed forces as prepared to act if needed.
Pronouncements from Trump about possible US participation in Saudi Arabia's military campaign against the Houthi movement in Yemen have added another layer of complexity to an already tangled regional picture. Drone and missile strikes attributed to Houthi forces, which left casualties at Saudi airport facilities, prompted Trump to indicate that the US was open to joining the response — a development that points to the wider regional dimensions of the conflict.
