Araqchi confirms: There is no military solution with Iran, and Ghalibaf sets 7 conditions for opening the Strait of Hormuz

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi confirmed on Sunday that there is no military solution for the United States with Iran, as negotiations between the two sides appear to have reached a dead end.

Araqchi said: “If our enemies choose the path of military confrontation again, our response will be stronger than before... There is no military solution, nor any solution based on new sanctions... nothing other than negotiations based on justice and fairness.”

Araghchi warned that his country is “serious about finding diplomatic solutions,” stressing at the same time that it is “serious about defending itself.”

Meanwhile, Iranian Shura Council Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said that the United States recently presented proposals through an intermediary, adding that Washington must realize that “the era of wasting time and dictating demands unilaterally has ended.”

Qalibaf said, according to what was reported by the Iranian “Noor News” website, that his country’s position is “completely clear and consistent,” and that the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened before seven conditions are met, which he said Tehran had set in accordance with the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

He added: "We are fighting and negotiating at the same time, and we are using the tools of diplomacy to consolidate our superiority in the military arena and impose the rights of the Iranian people."

He continued: "The winner in the negotiation arena is the one who is prepared for war."

These statements come at a time when Washington and Tehran say they prefer a diplomatic solution, while negotiations between them are still faltering due to disagreements over the speed of negotiation and the form and content of the agreement, in addition to the lack of trust and political pressures within both sides.

On the other hand, US President Donald Trump said in September that he rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume peace talks within seven days. Araqchi had said that the proposal was conveyed to Washington through intermediaries.

Negotiating rounds over the past 18 months ended in a military escalation, while the memorandum of understanding reached in June quickly collapsed, raising fears of renewed fighting.

The main point of contention remains Iran's attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz, the vital corridor for Gulf oil and gas.

According to media outlets that quoted Iranian sources, Tehran requires meeting seven demands to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, related to sanctions, the American military presence, and the nuclear file.

The first condition is to lift the US naval blockade imposed on Iran, allowing the resumption of navigation and access to Iranian ports and territorial waters.

The second condition is the release of Iranian assets frozen abroad, and allowing Tehran to again access funds that were frozen within the framework of US sanctions.

The third condition includes lifting US sanctions imposed on Iranian oil exports, allowing Tehran to resume oil exports without the current restrictions and benefit from its revenues.

The fourth condition demands a halt to US measures taken by Washington under the pretext of confronting Iranian military threats or operations, including measures that Tehran says directly target it.

The fifth condition relates to ending the war and military operations against Iran and its allies in the region, within the framework of what Tehran describes as the need to stop escalation on various fronts.

The sixth condition is the withdrawal of American forces from the areas surrounding the Iranian border, a demand linked to the American military presence in the region and what Tehran considers a threat to its security.

The seventh condition includes compensating Iran for the damage it suffered as a result of military operations, in addition to guarantees of non-interference in its nuclear and missile capabilities.

These details were not officially announced by Iran in a complete list of seven items, but Iranian officials revealed some conditions publicly in statements, while the rest of the details were published in the media, citing sources or officials.

US President Donald Trump said that he rejected Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume peace talks within seven days. He told reporters: "I reject their proposal."

In another, more recent statement, Trump said on Saturday that he is close to making a decision regarding Iran, and that Tehran has, as he put it, “the easy way or the hard way,” while keeping the military options on the table.

He also said that Iran, he said, was close to abandoning its efforts to possess a nuclear weapon, but he stressed that it would not be allowed to possess one.

The US State Department announced on Saturday that the United States had “expelled” two members of the Iranian delegation that participated in recent UN General Assembly meetings, after they ignored an order to leave the country.

An American official said that the two members “turned out to be still in New York long after the end of the United Nations General Assembly,” adding: “Now they have been expelled from the United States,” noting that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is “serious about what he says.”

American media reported that the State Department had asked Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation to leave the country on Monday, before deciding to expel the two members after learning from the Iranian mission to the United Nations on Friday that they were still in the United States.

The International Energy Agency announced on Saturday that member states have so far released 325 million barrels of oil and its derivatives from strategic reserves, out of 400 million barrels that member states pledged to pump in March, shortly after the outbreak of war in the region.

This comes the day after the G7 countries agreed, in agreement with the International Agency, to immediately release 100 million barrels of diesel fuel and crude oil to ease concerns about global energy supplies resulting from the repercussions of the war.

Since the outbreak of war in the region in late February, Iran says it controls the strait and obstructs navigation traffic in it, while the United States imposes a naval blockade on Iranian ports.