Iran has presented the United States with a new peace proposal via Qatari mediators, conditioning any negotiations on the fulfilment of seven demands including the lifting of sanctions and an end to the US naval blockade. The overture comes as President Donald Trump has warned he may have to "destroy the rest" of Iran.
Tehran's intensified diplomatic push comes after Iran downed two US reconnaissance drones near Qeshm island and the US said it had conducted "defensive strikes" on Qeshm island and Bandar Lengeh in the Strait of Hormuz.
Control over the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about one-fifth of global oil supplies, has been a main stumbling block in negotiations to end the Iran war, which began in February. The US has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and escorted tankers through the strait, while Iran has sought to limit traffic and has previously warned that cables, data centres and AI facilities in the Gulf region could be attacked if war with the US erupts again.
According to a senior Iranian official speaking to Reuters, the proposal was offered on Thursday and is contingent on Washington meeting Iran's seven demands. These include the lifting of sanctions, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, and a halt to the naval blockade. Iran's top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, said: "As long as they do not execute our seven conditions, we will neither open the Strait of Hormuz nor have negotiations."
The United States has insisted that a deal on Iran's nuclear capacity must be part of any ceasefire agreement. On Thursday, Trump told reporters people would "know soon enough" if he acts. The US news website Axios quoted a US official saying that US Central Command (CENTCOM) was preparing for the resumption of major military operations, waiting only on orders from Washington.
Rezaei travelled to Moscow on Thursday to deliver a message from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to President Vladimir Putin, an exchange he described as "extremely important." The meeting also discussed construction of gas pipelines from Russia to Iran, which Rezaei said would address Tehran's gas shortages.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held calls with the foreign ministers of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkiye, Qatar and Oman, with discussions focusing on diplomacy, de-escalation, and the safety of maritime navigation. Tehran has warned it will retaliate on a wider scale if the US resumes the war, and a spokesman for the Supreme Advisor to the Commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that any country or force helping America attack Iran "can be a legitimate target of the Islamic Republic."
The IRGC navy said at least seven tankers had caught fire after sailing into mines while attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz using what it called "unauthorised routes" near Oman this week. It said two oil tankers caught fire and were brought to a stop after hitting mines on Friday. Maritime organisations have not confirmed the latest incidents.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- A new US-Iran military confrontation would further disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, driving up global energy costs in a world already sensitive to price rises.
- The standoff carries the risk of a wider regional war, pulling in Gulf states that host US military assets and deepening the involvement of major powers such as Russia.
- The outcome of the current diplomatic push will determine whether the first direct peace talks in months can begin.
Background
The US-Israeli war on Iran began in February, with the most intense phase of strikes lasting 40 days earlier this year. Control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of global oil passes, has been a central point of contention. The US imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, while Iran has limited traffic and downed US reconnaissance drones near Qeshm island.
Relations between Russia and Iran have deepened since the start of the Ukraine war. Iran has supplied Shahed drones to Russia, and in return has reportedly received advanced weapons and intelligence sharing, making Moscow a key diplomatic backer of Tehran.
Key Perspectives
Iranian leadership: Views the negotiation conditions as non-negotiable. Demands sanctions lifted, assets unfrozen, and the naval blockade ended before talks can proceed, while threatening wider retaliation if the US resumes major strikes.
Trump administration: Threatens to "destroy" Iran's remaining military capability and is preparing potential operations through CENTCOM, though the president has also engaged with Qatari-led mediation efforts.
Russia: Is deepening its economic and military ties with Iran, supplying weapon systems despite its own wartime needs, and positioning itself as a potential mediator.
What to Watch
- Whether the Trump administration accepts any of Iran's preconditions for opening the Strait of Hormuz and beginning formal negotiations.
- The response from Gulf states, which face threats from Iran as "legitimate targets" and are relying on US escorts for shipping.
- The trajectory of the mine and tanker incidents in the Strait, which could escalate into a broader confrontation if left unchecked.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedIran offered the United States a peace proposal subject to seven demands.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “On Thursday, Iran offered the US a new nuclear and peace proposal via Qatari mediators, to be discussed only after Washington meets Tehran’s seven demands”
- SupportedPresident Trump threatened possible new strikes on Iran.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “suggestions by United States President Donald Trump that the US could resume full-scale strikes on the Islamic republic”
- SupportedIran made reopening the Strait of Hormuz conditional on meeting its seven demands.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Iran has made meeting its seven demands a condition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restarting peace talks”
- SupportedIran's top security official Mohsen Rezaei travelled to Moscow for talks on Thursday.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “its top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, travelling to Moscow for talks on Thursday”
- SupportedA senior Iranian official told Reuters the proposal was offered via Qatari mediators and would be discussed only after Washington met Tehran's demands.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “to be discussed only after Washington meets Tehran’s seven demands, a senior Iranian official told Reuters.”
- SupportedTrump said people would “know soon enough” if he acted and that he may have to “destroy the rest” of Iran.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “On Thursday, Trump told reporters at the Oval Office that he may have to “destroy the rest” of Iran.”
- SupportedIran downed two US reconnaissance drones near Qeshm island.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Tehran’s intensified diplomatic push comes after Iran downed two US reconnaissance drones near Qeshm island in the Strait of Hormuz”
- SupportedThe US said it conducted “defensive strikes” on Qeshm island and Bandar Lengeh.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “the US said it had conducted “defensive strikes” on Iran’s Qeshm island and Bandar Lengeh in the Strait of Hormuz.”
- SupportedRezaei said Iran would neither open the Strait of Hormuz nor negotiate unless the seven conditions were met.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “As long as they do not execute our seven conditions, we will neither open the Strait of Hormuz nor have negotiations.”
- SupportedAxios quoted a US official saying CENTCOM was preparing to resume major military operations and was waiting for orders from Washington.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The US news website Axios quoted a US official saying that US Central Command (CENTCOM) was preparing for the resumption of major military operations in Iran, and that it was just waiting on orders from Washington.”
- SupportedThe IRGC navy said at least seven tankers caught fire after hitting mines while using unauthorised routes near Oman this week.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps navy says at least seven tankers have caught fire after sailing into mines while attempting to transit through the Strait of Hormuz using “unauthorised routes” near Oman this week.”
- SupportedMaritime organisations had not confirmed the latest tanker incidents.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Maritime organisations have not confirmed the latest incidents.”
