Five Conditions Tehran Sets Before Talking to Washington

A blunt message has emerged from Tehran: if the United States wants dialogue, it must first satisfy five non-negotiable demands. Speaking to Iranian state media, lawmaker Ibrahim Azizi laid out the terms, starting with an immediate and total ceasefire on all fronts, most notably in Lebanon. The second requirement is a binding pledge that Washington will not resume strikes against Iranian targets. Azizi further insisted that the naval cordon around the Strait of Hormuz be dismantled, that Iranian sovereignty over security protocols in the waterway be acknowledged, and that crippling oil sanctions be scrapped. The return of seized Iranian property completed the list. The committee chair portrayed recent events as proof that Iran’s response compelled the United States and Israel to seek de-escalation. He proposed that once the five conditions are met, phased talks lasting thirty and then sixty days could address secondary disputes. Yet he stressed that mutual distrust runs far deeper than any single crisis, cautioning that structural animosity will not vanish overnight. The remarks come on the heels of Tuesday’s reported US attack on Iranian vessels near Hormuz and Tehran’s subsequent claim that it downed an American drone. Against this backdrop, Azizi’s five conditions serve as both a diplomatic roadmap and a warning that any future negotiations will be shaped by hard lessons from the latest confrontation.