Iranian Official Says U.S. Must Meet Hormuz Terms Before Nuclear Talks

An unnamed senior Iranian official said Tuesday that Washington must meet Tehran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz before nuclear talks can begin, as an agreement to end the war remains distant.

Mediators are working to narrow differences between Tehran and Washington, the official said, but the governments remain far from a deal. Tehran would reject U.S. demands it considers excessive and was prepared to respond forcefully to U.S. strikes in the Middle East and beyond, the official said.

The comments followed a third straight day of talks in Doha on Sunday between Iranian negotiators and Qatari mediators, with the Iranian delegation departing as a proposed U.S.-Iran framework to end the war circulated. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson had also confirmed that the deputy foreign minister exchanged messages with Washington through Qatar, with discussions based on a seven-step plan Iran submitted in September.