The official, speaking anonymously on Thursday, said Washington was examining the proposal but provided no details of its provisions. Neither the precise terms of the document nor an American response accepting Tehran’s conditions has been made public. The proposal’s precise enrichment limits and verification arrangements have not been disclosed.
Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei separately reaffirmed Tehran’s position during a visit to Russia, linking the resumption of negotiations to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for international energy shipments.
Rezaei said Iran had communicated seven conditions to the Americans and would neither reopen the waterway nor negotiate until those requirements were implemented. His remarks indicated that Tehran was treating economic relief and security guarantees as prerequisites rather than matters to be settled during nuclear discussions.
The demands identified publicly include the removal of American sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets and compensation for damage caused by the war. Tehran has also sought an end to the American blockade of its ports and hostilities across the region. A complete, authoritative list of all seven conditions has not been publicly detailed.
Washington has maintained that Iran’s nuclear activities must be addressed in the opening phase of any negotiations. That difference over sequencing remains a central barrier: Tehran wants concessions before formal talks, while the United States insists that nuclear restrictions cannot be deferred until after broader political or economic arrangements.
Qatar’s involvement has become increasingly important as regional intermediaries seek a framework capable of bringing both governments back to the negotiating table. The Gulf state has been discussing proposals with Tehran and Washington, although the existence of a channel for exchanging documents does not establish that either government has accepted the other’s terms.
Two regional government officials described discussions around a possible interim arrangement involving confidence-building steps over two days. Those ideas included easing the American blockade and releasing some frozen Iranian funds, alongside arrangements for international nuclear inspections and the Strait of Hormuz. The proposals remained under consideration rather than constituting an agreed settlement.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington was communicating with Iran, while reiterating his administration’s determination to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons. His remarks followed statements indicating that further American military action remained possible if diplomacy failed to produce an acceptable outcome.
The military confrontation continued to complicate those contacts. Trump said American forces carried out limited strikes on Friday against an Iranian air-defence installation near Qeshm Island, close to the Strait of Hormuz. The operation added to the pressure surrounding negotiations at a moment when intermediaries were attempting to narrow differences over a ceasefire and nuclear oversight.
Tehran has warned that renewed American attacks could provoke wider retaliation. Its insistence on prior concessions reflects a broader dispute over whether negotiations can proceed while military operations, economic restrictions and threats of further strikes remain in place.
The Strait of Hormuz is particularly sensitive because restrictions on shipping through the passage have disrupted energy markets and heightened concerns among Gulf producers and major importing economies. Iran’s decision to connect access to the waterway with its diplomatic demands has therefore extended the dispute beyond nuclear policy to regional trade and maritime security.
The war began with American and Israeli attacks on Iran on 28 February, followed by Iranian strikes against Israel and Gulf states hosting American military facilities. Fighting subsequently involved Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, while the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen attacked infrastructure and other targets in Saudi Arabia.
International nuclear monitoring remains another unresolved issue. The International Atomic Energy Agency has identified an Iranian stockpile of 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity, a level substantially above that used in civilian power generation. Questions over inspectors’ access to damaged facilities are among the practical matters being discussed through intermediaries.
For Qatar, the immediate diplomatic task involves transmitting positions between governments that continue to disagree on the order of concessions, inspections and security measures. The exchanges have not yet produced an announced date for direct negotiations or a jointly endorsed text defining the terms of a ceasefire.
