Iran sets seven conditions for talks with US

Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, announced on Saturday that Tehran has conveyed seven conditions to Washington for resuming negotiations. This development comes as US President Donald Trump considers whether to launch a major military campaign against Iran. Rezaei wrote on social media that if the United States wishes to extricate itself from the predicament it has created, it must accept Iran's rights and conditions. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Rezaei identified three of these demands: an end to the war on all fronts, the release of frozen Iranian funds, and the lifting of the US naval blockade. According to Rezaei, Qatar has conveyed these conditions to Washington, and Tehran is awaiting a response from Trump. Indirect diplomatic contacts between the two countries have continued despite the collapse of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding in August. Rezaei also adopted a confrontational tone, claiming that Tehran changed its military approach after the US withdrew from the memorandum and that Iranian forces are better prepared for US air attacks. Meanwhile, Donald Trump told Axios that he faces a major decision regarding whether to resume large-scale attacks on Iran. In a subsequent interview with Fox News, Trump stated that in his opinion, Iran wants a deal but is not yet prepared to reach one. The Iran war and Washington's plans for the next stage of the conflict are expected to be central topics during Trump's upcoming meeting with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.