The Secretary of the Iranian National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, escalated the tone of his rhetoric towards the United States, announcing that Tehran had set its conditions for ending the conflict before the mediators, and was awaiting an official response from US President Donald Trump. At the same time, he affirmed his country’s readiness to fight a “decisive war,” revealing a successful test of an anti-ship missile near an American aircraft carrier.
In statements reported by Iranian media, Rezaei considered that American calculations and assessments regarding Iran were “wrong,” holding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for incitement to war. He called on Washington to accept Iranian conditions as “an American interest to get out of the impasse,” stressing that Trump’s threats will not succeed, and that Tehran has become more capable of dealing with air attacks after monitoring the weaknesses of the American army. He pointed out that the American withdrawal from the memorandum of understanding prompted his country to adopt a new strategy in dealing with Washington, warning that any new attack would be subject to strict targeting of American bases and interests in the region.
On the diplomatic level, Rezaei explained that consultations are continuing through the Qatari and Pakistani mediators. Qatar received the Iranian conditions and transferred them to the American side with the aim of stopping military operations, awaiting the response of the American administration. He specified Tehran’s demands for a comprehensive cessation of the war on all fronts, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and the lifting of the naval blockade.
Regarding the nuclear file, Rezaei warned that American and Israeli practices might push Tehran to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, stressing at the same time that this decision has not been made final yet, and stressing his country’s commitment to the religious fatwa regarding the prohibition of nuclear weapons and not changing military doctrine in this context, provided that the decision remains subject to future developments.
Regarding the regional issue, Rezaei expressed his country’s desire to end the ongoing war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, expressing his belief that the Houthi group is also committed to reaching a political settlement with Riyadh.
These developments come at a very sensitive time in the American-Iranian confrontation, especially after US President Donald Trump announced that he is close to deciding his next step in the conflict, and his intention to discuss the issue with the leaders of the Gulf states on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings, amid intense and indirect diplomatic efforts to find a way out of the crisis.
