The head of Iran’s feared paramilitary police force the Basij said Thursday that Iran would “decide on the manner and agenda of any negotiations only after its seven conditions are fulfilled and accepted by the other side,” according to Iranian state news agency IRNA.
It was a reiteration of Iran’s refusal to budge on its core demands for a preliminary peace deal with the U.S. — and a seemingly deliberate response to President Trump’s assertion on Wednesday that the costly conflict had already been a victory for his administration, and it was “just a question of when we want to end it.”Â
Basij chief Hossein Taeb said it made no difference to Iran how long the process of ending the war might take, and that “the main issue is the fulfillment of the conditions set by the Islamic Republic of Iran. After that, Iran will decide on the manner and subjects of negotiations.”
As laid out by Vahid Ahmadi, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission at the end of September, the conditions that must be met before “substantive negotiations” on matters such as Iran’s nuclear program can begin are:
- An ending to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon and Gaza
- The easing of what Iran considers “unjust and illegal sanctions”
- The lifting of the U.S. naval blockade of Iran’s ports and vessels
- An accepted system for Iran and Oman to control Strait of Hormuz traffic
- A plan to compensate Iran for damage inflicted during the war
- The release of frozen Iranian financial assets held abroad
- An end to all threats against Iran
“These issues only make sense when considered together,” Vahid said at the time, adding that some of the conditions could potentially be met during an initial ceasefire, rather than as a prerequisite for one.
“You cannot continue threats and war on the one hand, maintain maritime restrictions, keep Iran’s assets frozen and refuse to compensate for the damage inflicted, while expecting Iran to enter serious negotiations on the other,” he said, according to the Iranian news outlet IRAF.
Speaking Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Iran’s demands “unacceptable” and made it clear there was little expectation of any near-term diplomatic breakthrough.
Hours later, Iran offered to shorten the proposed implementation period for a ceasefire deal, during which some of its seven conditions could be fully met, from seven days to two, calling it a “sign of goodwill.” The regime has not, however, shown any willingness to change its core demands.