Tehran holds to its terms after American strikes on Qeshm
Iran insisted on Tuesday that its conditions must be met before the Strait of Hormuz reopens, hours after American forces struck Qeshm Island in what US officials called a defensive response to Iranian surface-to-air missile fire. A senior Iranian official told Reuters the two sides remained far apart. Qatari mediators were in Tehran discussing a draft agreement.
Diplomacy and force are running on parallel tracks. President Pezeshkian said the supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, had given the government “certain authorities” over talks with Washington, a shift since the June memorandum collapsed. JD Vance said: “We’ve certainly made some progress. We’ll see if we can make some more.” Yet Mr Trump has said the war will end “one way or the other” and has named the fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site as a possible target. Many observers see the midterms as his decision point.