"The Time for Imposing Conditions is Over".. Qalibaf: We Will Not Open the Strait of Hormuz Except by Meeting Iran's Seven Conditions

- Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf reiterated on Sunday Iran's position that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the seven conditions set by Iran are met, criticizing what he described as the "contradiction" in the American rhetoric between military threats and the declaration of a desire to negotiate. Qalibaf stated that these conditions are based on the memorandum of understanding signed in Islamabad between Iran and the United States, noting that "Iran will not mortgage its national security to the statements or tweets issued by American officials," according to the official Iranian news agency "IRNA."

Qalibaf said that "the proposals presented by Washington through intermediaries will not change the firmness of the Iranian position; the time for imposing unilateral demands has ended," as reported by IRNA. The Iranian Parliament Speaker and head of its negotiating delegation claimed that "the United States is facing a state of impotence in the face of the resilience of the Iranian people."

Qalibaf mentioned that what he described as the "contradiction" in American rhetoric, which ranges from military threats to claims of a desire to negotiate, "is nothing but an attempt to mislead public opinion and create confusion in the Iranian decision-making process." Qalibaf concluded by saying: "Based on the directives of the Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, we will not allow the enemies to achieve any of their illusions regarding Iran," according to IRNA.

Among Tehran's conditions for opening the vital strait are: ending the war on all fronts, releasing frozen Iranian assets, and ending the maritime blockade on Iran. Last Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he expects talks with Iran to continue after rejecting the latest Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said in an interview with Axios: "I expect more talks with Iran (this week). They want to make a deal, but it’s not the deal I want."

It is the agreement that we might have agreed to a year ago; they overestimated their position." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Biegun on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly; a meeting that Trump described as "very good."

After Araghchi stated on Thursday that Iran had proposed to the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume negotiations to reach a "final agreement," a White House official confirmed on Friday that both sides are having "positive and constructive discussions through intermediaries." Trump rejected the Iranian proposal the following day. Iran has sought to implement a new protocol for crossing the Strait of Hormuz since its effective closure of this vital waterway, following the start of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran on February 28.