Iran rejects US talks until demands are met, rules out moving enriched uranium out of the country

Iran has ruled out negotiations with the United States until Washington meets its demands, signalling a hardening of Tehran's position despite Pakistan's efforts to broker a peace deal.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian conveyed the message to Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, during a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday. Munir is visiting Iran as part of renewed efforts to mediate between the two countries.

“The Americans must first remove the threats and sanctions; only then can we engage in dialogue,” Pezeshkian said, according to Iranian media.

He added that Iranians did not trust Washington and feared the US could launch another attack even if negotiations resumed.

Iran sets conditions for negotiations

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also told Munir that Washington could not regain Tehran's trust without fulfilling seven conditions set by Iran last month for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

“Threats and military manoeuvres cannot influence Iran's strategic decisions,” Qalibaf said, according to an Iranian readout of the meeting.

Tehran's demands include a ceasefire across the Middle East, the unfreezing of Iranian assets held abroad and the lifting of sanctions on its oil sector.

Iran's security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, also ruled out transferring the country's nuclear material abroad, describing it as a major national asset.

“Not even a tiny bit of enriched nuclear material will leave Iran,” Rezaei said, adding that negotiations could not resume until Washington took steps to build trust by meeting Tehran's conditions.

Tehran has previously rejected calls to hand over its uranium enriched to 60 per cent, which is close to weapons-grade enrichment of 90 per cent. However, Tehran has indicated that it could dilute the material within its own territory.

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Pakistan remains a key intermediary between Washington and Tehran. Earlier mediation efforts helped secure an interim peace agreement in June, but the deal quickly unravelled as fighting between the two countries resumed weeks later.

Negotiations have remained largely stalled since then. Recent indirect talks between the US and Iran on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly also failed to produce a breakthrough.