Qatari Prime Minister Majed al Ansari announced on September 20 that the primary goals of current mediation efforts are to prevent further escalation into war with Iran and to facilitate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. This statement comes as Iran has conveyed a new set of conditions to the United States through Qatari and Pakistani mediators for ending the conflict, which has been ongoing since late February following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran. While full-scale fighting has paused, the two nations remain far from peace, with the previous June 17 Memorandum of Understanding having expired last month.
Iran's conditions, relayed by its security chief Mohsen Rezaei and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, include an end to the war on all fronts (including Lebanon), the release of billions of dollars in frozen funds, an end to the naval blockade on Iranian ports, a cessation of US interference in Iran’s internal affairs, an end to US cooperation with “opponents of our revolution,” and a halt to all US attacks on Iranian territory. Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route for oil and gas, and stated it will remain closed until these conditions are met and US commitments are fulfilled. The ongoing blockade and Houthi control of the Red Sea route have caused oil prices to cross the $100 mark in recent weeks.
The US has not yet formally responded to Iran's new conditions, but President Donald Trump is reportedly considering his options. Some analysts, like Rob Geist Pinfold of King's College London, suggest Trump might be inclined to seek a deal to end the war before the US midterm elections in November. However, others, such as former Pentagon director David Des Roches, believe Washington might view Iran's terms as tantamount to surrender. The abandonment of war reparations from previous Iranian demands is seen by some as a potential sign of movement. Both sides are in a stalemate, with the US maintaining air superiority and the blockade, while Iran leverages asymmetric tactics to cause difficulties.
These current demands largely echo those in the expired June MoU, which also called for an end to the war, mutual respect for sovereignty, an end to naval blockades by both sides, and the release of frozen funds. The MoU also proposed a $300 billion US-backed reconstruction plan, required Iran not to procure nuclear weapons, and mandated the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for safe passage. Additionally, the previous agreement stipulated US waivers for Iranian oil exports, no new sanctions, and no further deployment of US forces in the region. Iran conveyed these new conditions publicly via Qatar, aiming to shift the onus onto Washington and maximize impact ahead of the US midterms.
