Iran’s Rezaei says US tone has shifted, but seven conditions still block Hormuz reopening

Iran’s top security official said on Saturday that the United States has softened its approach toward Tehran, but that Iran will not open negotiations or reopen the Strait of Hormuz until Washington satisfies seven conditions. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, made the remarks in an interview with state television, according to Iran International.

Rezaei said diplomatic exchanges have continued for more than a month and that the US has put forward three proposals. In his account, the first response was insufficient and the second more favourable, while the third still contains ambiguities and is being discussed. Iran, he said, is now waiting for an American answer to its latest position. He added that the strait “cannot reopen unless Iran’s seven conditions are met.”

Araghchi and the mediators

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran has no plans for direct talks with American officials and that consultations on Tehran’s conditions are running through mediators. He also said that reopening the strait on Iranian terms could clear the way for negotiations with Washington. Al Jazeera’s live coverage headlined his remarks as saying that talks were under way on a two-day plan to reopen the waterway.

The comments followed more than 12 hours of talks between Iranian and Qatari officials in Tehran, after which Iranian negotiators met Qatari mediators in Doha. Reuters, citing an official briefed on the talks, reported that the Qatari team has stayed in regular contact with Washington.

The letter from Vance

Rezaei said he had read a letter sent by Vice President JD Vance at President Donald Trump’s direction, but had not replied. “The tone of the letter has completely changed,” he said, contrasting it with an earlier message from Trump. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the letter was meant to explore restarting negotiations. The Washington Post said Vance also offered to meet Rezaei, most likely in Istanbul or Doha, and that the letter asked Tehran to send representatives empowered to discuss nuclear issues. Trump later described the outreach as concerning help for Iran in obtaining medical supplies.

The two sides remain apart on what must happen before talks can start. Axios reported that Washington wants nuclear concessions as part of any restart, while Tehran is asking for the lifting of the US naval blockade, the release of frozen funds and permission to sell oil. Reuters reported that Qatar floated a seven-day confidence-building plan, which Iran regarded as inadequate. Rezaei said Iran’s conditions are meant to resolve ambiguities in an earlier understanding reached in Islamabad, including how the strait is managed and how fees are collected.

Nuclear stance and regional talks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Trump had not decided whether to resume military action and that Washington remained open to a diplomatic solution. Rezaei alleged that the US intends to negotiate and then strike Iran again, and warned of a severe response to any renewed attack.

On nuclear policy, Rezaei said no new decision has been taken on changing Iran’s doctrine, though he acknowledged public calls for one after attacks on its facilities. He said Tehran would insist on its rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty in any nuclear talks, and he sharply criticised IAEA chief Rafael Grossi.

Rezaei also described recent four-way talks in Tehran with Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani officials, which he presented as a step toward a regional security framework run by countries of the region. He said the four sides agreed to keep meeting.

What happens next hinges on Washington’s reply to Iran’s latest position and on whether the mediators can bridge the gap over the preconditions for formal talks.