Summary

Iran’s military warned Sunday that it will launch "continuous, effective, and painful attacks" against American bases and interests across the Middle East if the U.S. resumes offensive military actions, claiming Washington has decided to launch new strikes with the backing of regional allies. The fresh warnings from Tehran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters came as senior Iranian leadership signaled a willingness to return to a June framework agreement with Washington. Top Iranian officials confirmed Sunday that they have conveyed specific conditions to the U.S. through diplomatic mediators for ending the war and reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime choke-point for global oil and gas exports. In a statement broadcast on state-run television network IRIB, Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya central military command claimed that Tehran had received intelligence pointing toward an imminent resumption of U.S. military operations. "According to the information received, the criminal America, has once again decided to resume measures against Iran, with the green light of some regional countries, at a joint meeting in a European country," the military command declared. The Iranian armed forces threatened widespread retaliation against American military assets and cautioned neighboring countries against assisting U.S. operations. "We warn that if the countries of the region – by continuing their dual policy toward the Islamic Republic of Iran – align with the Great Devil's aggression against a powerful and sovereign Iran they will all be considered complicit in this evil and can no longer expect restraint or decency from Iran's powerful armed forces," it said. Regional stability has deteriorated since Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Tehran responded with retaliatory strikes against regional installations hosting American military assets and instituted a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the heightened military rhetoric, Iranian officials indicated that a diplomatic resolution remains possible if the U.S. honors commitments established in earlier negotiations. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, acting as chief negotiator, confirmed that Iran’s terms for ending the conflict had been delivered to Washington via diplomatic intermediaries. "Our messages and the explanation of our conditions have been clearly conveyed to the other party through mediators," Ghalibaf said, according to Iranian state television. "As long as the conditions are not met ... and the U.S. commitments are not honored, it will be impossible to return to the situation from before the negotiations and to an open strait," he added. Clarifying those demands, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary-general of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told Al Jazeera that Tehran’s conditions mirror the terms outlined in the 14-point framework agreement signed by Washington and Tehran in mid-June. "Our conditions are an end to the war on all fronts, the release of our frozen funds and an end to the naval blockade," Rezaei said, adding that Iran is also seeking a formal end to fighting between the Houthi movement in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Diplomatic efforts are set to continue in Tehran Sunday with the arrival of Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who is traveling to the Iranian capital for bilateral talks in his country's role as a mediator. Qatar has also served as a primary channel for conveying proposals to the U.S. government. The diplomatic initiative follows the collapse of the June framework agreement, which called for a 60-day negotiation period to secure a permanent end to hostilities. Under that agreement, Iran committed to ensuring the safe, toll-free passage of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while the U.S. agreed to lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports and unfreeze Iranian financial assets. The temporary accord broke down following sharp disagreements over navigation rights in the Strait of Hormuz and the technical procedures for releasing frozen funds. The initial 60-day timeline expired without an extension or a finalized permanent treaty. Independent analysts observe that Iran is eager to conclude the conflict, provided it can secure strategic concessions. "Iran has no interest in an endless war. There is a clear understanding in Tehran of the importance of bringing the conflict to an end, but only through an agreement that changes the strategic reality in Iran's favour," wrote Danny Citrinowicz, an Israeli Iran analyst, in an assessment posted on X. Citrinowicz said that Tehran remains unwilling to restart diplomatic talks from scratch or offer new concessions beyond the June memorandum. "What Tehran is not prepared to do is renegotiate the agreement from scratch. Iran will not negotiate new terms for the Memorandum of understanding. It will not reopen nuclear negotiations before the memorandum is restored. And it will not offer additional concessions beyond those it already made during its negotiations with Washington," Citrinowicz noted, adding that any progress requires Washington to fulfill its pledges regarding frozen funds and Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz.