Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz or resume negotiations with the United States until Washington meets seven conditions set by Tehran, putting the next move in the standoff firmly in the hands of the American side.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the responsibility for the next step rests with the United States. "The ball is now in the Americans' court, and they must make a decision and announce it," Ghalibaf told Al Jazeera.
The demands include the removal of United States sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets, an end to the American naval blockade of Iranian ports, and compensation for damage caused by the war. Tehran also wants fighting ended across regional fronts, including Lebanon.
Tehran warns against a return to war
Ghalibaf also warned President Donald Trump against restarting military action. "If Trump decides to go to war again, he will face another defeat," he said.
Senior security official Mohsen Rezaei told Al-Mayadeen TV that there are currently no negotiations with Washington. He warned that Iran could strike American military bases outside the Middle East, including in Europe, if they were used to launch attacks on Iran.
The remarks came after Trump met mediators from Qatar at the White House on Monday. Trump played down the prospect of another major military operation, but he did not accept Tehran's truce proposal.
What Tehran's proposal offers in return
Under Tehran's proposal, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen on the sixth day after the United States meets its demands, with talks on a final agreement starting the following day. The offer links the reopening of the waterway directly to action from Washington.
The strait has been at the centre of the standoff between the two sides, and Tehran has made its reopening conditional on the full list of seven demands being met first.
What happens next
With Ghalibaf saying the ball is in the Americans' court, the decision now rests with Washington. No negotiations are under way at present, according to Rezaei, and neither side has announced a date for fresh talks.
Whether the United States responds to the conditions, and in what form, will decide if the strait reopens and if the two sides return to the negotiating table. For now, Tehran's position is that nothing moves until its demands are met.
