• Iran’s top security official Mohsen Rezaei has said that Tehran has conveyed its conditions for ending the war to the White House through Qatari mediators.
• He says the demands include an end to the war on all fronts, the release of frozen Iranian assets and the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports.
• The US has urged its citizens in nine countries in the Middle East to exercise caution, warning that Saudi-Houthi hostilities have the potential to “escalate rapidly”.
• Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is due in Tehran today for bilateral talks, but Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told state TV there are no plans to exchange specific messages about mediation efforts to end the war.

Iran’s security chief conveys conditions for ending the war

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, says conditions have been conveyed to the US via mediators Qatar and Pakistan. They include the lifting of a US naval blockade and an end to the war on all fronts.

Iran’s security chief issues message of defiance, stands by demands

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, made three important points.

First, he reiterated the two-sided message that we have been constantly hearing from Tehran – readiness for diplomatic engagement on the one hand and readiness for another round of confrontation on the other. We know that Tehran is expecting a Pakistani delegation headed by the interior minister of the country, while Rezaei talked about preparation for a decisive war.

In the meantime, he outlined at least three conditions for long-lasting peace, which include the removal of the naval blockade, the unfreezing of frozen Iranian assets, and a halt to the war across the region, in particular on the Yemeni front.

He also said Iran’s nuclear doctrine will remain unchanged. He said Iran is committed to the fatwa of the supreme leaders, but that there might be a possibility of change in the future.

All in all, we heard a message of defiance from Rezaei in a situation that is marked by uncertainty.

Rezaei says Iran has ‘seven conditions’ for starting any talks with US

Iran’s security chief has called on the US to accept the country’s “rights and conditions” if it wants to end the war.

In a post on X, Mohsen Rezaei said: “Iran has announced seven conditions for starting any negotiations with the US government.

“Tehran’s message is clear and unambiguous; if Washington wants to escape the quagmire it has created for itself and avoid getting further entangled in it, it has no choice but to accept Iran’s rights and conditions.”

The post came after Rezaei spoke to Al Jazeera in an exclusive interview and said Tehran has conveyed its conditions for ending the war to the White House through Qatari mediators. These include an end to the war on all fronts, and the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports.

‘America must implement our conditions first’: Iran security chief lays out Tehran’s position

Key quotes from Mohsen Rezaei’s

On talks with the US:

• “The respected Qatari government, as well as the respected Pakistani government, are currently engaged in continuous consultations with us. There are ongoing contacts and meetings. We have informed them of our conditions – and the Americans themselves are aware of our conditions as well… and we are waiting for the Americans to accept and implement them.”
• “Our conditions include the release of our frozen assets. Secondly, they must announce an end to the war on all fronts – refrain from interfering in our internal affairs, stop cooperating with opponents of our revolution, halt any form of aggression against our territory, and lift the naval blockade.”
• “America must implement our conditions first, and only then can negotiations follow.”

On Iran’s nuclear doctrine:

• “We remain committed to the fatwa of our martyred Imam [Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini], and our position has not changed to this day, but we do not know what will happen in the future… We are now considering whether or not we will withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty. This depends on America’s conduct.”

On the Houthi-Saudi Arabia conflict:

• “We genuinely want to end the war between Saudi Arabia and Yemen… if they also ask for our help, we are fully prepared to help achieve peace between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.”

On potential US attacks:

• “We have fully prepared ourselves to fight a decisive war. The weak points of the American military are now fully known to us… We recently tested an anti-warship missile, that is, we fired a missile that exploded near the aircraft carrier there and split into 80 explosive warheads.”
• “We are serious about defending ourselves. This time, if war begins, we will strike, more severely, all the American air bases from which those planes take off.”

Trump returns to White House earlier than expected

US President Donald Trump has cut short his weekend stay at Camp David and returned to the White House earlier than expected.

The administration did not give a reason for the change of plans. Trump was originally scheduled to depart Camp David later on Sunday local time.

It is not uncommon for the president’s travel plans to change on weekends, including because of the weather. Forecasts predicted rain and thunderstorms in the hilly Camp David area.

Trump’s return to the White House came after the US State Department issued an alert to US citizens in the Middle East, warning that hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen have “the potential to escalate rapidly”.

Ghalibaf says Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until Iran’s conditions are met

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has reiterated Tehran’s stance on the Strait of Hormuz, saying the critical waterway will remain closed until the US fulfils its commitments under the now-defunct peace deal that was signed in June.

Addressing the Parliament, Ghalibaf also said that Iran has “explicitly conveyed its messages and conditions to the opposing side through intermediaries”.

“The enemy is well aware that the path of deception and unilateral imposition is closed; until these conditions are met, the legitimate rights of the Iranian nation are recognised, and American commitments are fulfilled, there will be no opening for a return to the previous state of negotiations or for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iranian official dismisses US claims of petrol shortages as ‘baseless lies’

Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security commission of Iran’s Parliament, says the claims made by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that Iranians are queuing hours for gasoline are “nothing but baseless lies”.

In a post on X, he wrote: “Take this as a lesson and refrain from repeating your miscalculations, or else the victorious armed forces will give you an unforgettable lesson.”

Azizi also reposted a video by Iran Press that said people in the country were filling up their vehicles in “just three to four minutes rather than waiting for hours”.

His comments came after Bessent told the House Financial Services Committee on September 15 that there was a three to four hour waiting line at petrol stations in Iran after his department tightened economic sanctions on the country.

Iran demands US sanctions removal, asset release as Qatar and Pakistan mediate

Iranian officials confirm negotiations have been under way with the assistance of Qatar and Pakistan, the main mediators of the talks between Iran and the United States.

They are putting emphasis on their conditions about the potential for any resolution – any long-lasting peace at the end of the day.

They have been calling for the release of their frozen assets, in addition to the removal of the sanctions, which have a huge impact on Iran’s already deteriorated economic situation.

There is another key point of concern: the naval blockade imposed by the US. When it comes to Iran’s oil exports – which are critically important as the key revenue for the Iranian economy – officials are emphasizing that this naval blockade should be removed in order for any negotiated settlement to appear.

Iran vows to ‘deal devastating blows using full military might’ at ‘critical moment’

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says “one must both fight and negotiate” as the nearly seven-month war with the United States drags on.

“This means at the critical moment we must push the enemy back and deal them devastating blows using our full military might,” Ghalibaf said while addressing parliament.

“However, once we have achieved significant success on the battlefield and the enemy is in a position of weakness we must use diplomacy to consolidate these gains.”

Iran’s position in negotiations is “entirely clear, rational, and non-negotiable”, Ghalibaf said, adding the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until all US commitments are fulfilled.

The comments come as Pakistani and Qatari mediators were told by Iran it has seven conditions before any talks with the United States can begin.

Iran signals openness to diplomacy and readiness for conflict

From Tohid Asadi, Tehran

Tehran has been trying to implement a cautiously calibrated pragmatism in this two-sided message that we have been hearing from Iran’s speaker of parliament, who was also the head of the Iranian negotiating delegation.

On one hand, there is this readiness for diplomatic engagement. We heard the same from the Supreme National Security Council Secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, saying that mediated talks with the Pakistani and Qatari sides have been under way, and that is indicative of potential diplomatic engagement.

Tehran is expecting a Pakistani delegation headed by the interior minister – again, another positive signal.

However, there is also a second side to this coin, and Iranians are saying that there is readiness for another round of confrontation. That was something echoed by the parliament speaker, the Supreme National Security Council’s secretary, and also other Iranian officials, including the joint military headquarters of Khatam al-Anbiya.

On that, we have been hearing from Iranians that in the case of a next round of escalation, it could be even beyond the borders of the region.

Iran’s military threatens US interests if any attack launched as tensions rise

Iran’s central military command warns any US attack will lead to Iranian retaliation “without any limitations or considerations” on American bases and interests in the Middle East, state media reports.

“Any mistake will result in painful attacks,” Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters said in a statement carried by official media.

“According to information received, the United States – seeking to cover up its failures and achieve fabricated gains in a war that was launched based on Israeli lies and stage-managing and has been sustained through deception and trickery – has once again decided, with the green light from some regional countries, to resume actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran at a joint meeting in a European country.”

Iranian military headquarters warns US allies against renewed attacks

Iran’s military headquarters has warned Middle East nations they’ll be “considered complicit” if the United States resumes major strikes on the country from American bases.

“We warn that if the countries of the region – by continuing their dual policy toward the Islamic Republic of Iran – align with the Great Satan’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,” the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters said in a statement.

Iran seals French language centre in Tehran, accuses it of ‘illegal’ activities

Iranian authorities have sealed a French language centre affiliated with the French embassy in Tehran following a judicial order, according to the Tehran prosecutor’s office, as quoted by the Tasnim news agency.

The centre operated for years under the cover of foreign-language teaching despite repeated warnings to obtain a licence, authorities said, accusing it of activities against Iranian culture and national security, including identifying and building networks, as well as facilitating the departure of skilled Iranians from the country.

The report by Tasnim claimed that the centre “misused the pretext of language instruction to carry out projects undermining Iranian-Islamic culture and threatening national security”.

Paris expelled Iranian diplomats after Tehran’s similar move last month over accusations of “interference” in Iran’s internal affairs.

Paris to summon Iranian ambassador over closure of French language centre in Tehran

France’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the closure of a French language centre in Tehran and will summon the Iranian ambassador.

Earlier today, Iranian authorities announced the closure of the language centre associated with the embassy because of “illegal activities”.

The French ministry said “this new attack on the French cultural presence in Iran… is unjustifiable and unacceptable”, adding that the government would “take appropriate measures to respond”.

Trump told Fox News only options with Iran: ‘wiping Iran out or making a deal’

US President Donald Trump tells Fox News that the only options on the table are “wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically or making a deal”.

He said that the if and when he “blows the entire nation up, they better behave.”

And that he is in a “deciding mode” and “very big things” are going to happen in the “not so distant future”.

Iran’s FM heading to New York for UN General Assembly

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has left Tehran for the UN General Assembly New York, state media announced, adding that he is making a brief stopover in Qatar.

Trump seeks to pressure Iran ahead of UNGA

Trump’s latest threats to Iran are just an attempt to “fill up public discussion” before the UN General Assembly, Mark Pfeiffer, a Republican strategist and former White House and national security official, said.

“I think what Trump is hoping for is to put enough pressure on the Iranians so that they can come to New York City for the UNGA meetings and have an actual discussion one on one, instead of trading barbs over social media and through mediators,” Pfeiffer said.

He added that they are “locked in this frozen conflict” and that both countries are trying to see “who can exert the most pressure on the other side”.

He said that Trump is also “dealing with its Gulf allies, trying to keep them on board” to see who will give up some of the “negotiation sequencing” when they actually hopefully come to the negotiation table, probably in the weeks ahead”.

Iran believes US and Israel preparing for ‘full-fledged’ war

Tehran believes that all scenarios show the US and Israel preparing for a full-fledged war, leaving Iran no option but to use “the language of force”, academic Mostafa Khoshcheshm said.

The best option that Iran has is increasing crude oil prices to sway the results of the upcoming midterm elections in the US, he said.

“For that to happen, Iran believes it must shut down the Strait of Hormuz for some time – at least for a few months.”

In Iran’s view, Trump only understands “the language of force” as the US never complied with the Islamabad MoU.

Netanyahu is likely to return to the military option against Iran because he “is in bad shape” for the Israeli elections, added the professor.

Gulf region rocked by ‘earthquake’ from US-Israel war on Iran: Qatar PM

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani says the Middle East must “eliminate sources of discord” so “no state can impose danger on others”.

The region in recent months has witnessed an “earthquake” and the repercussions have put “the assumptions of security and stability to a real test”, he told an economic forum sponsored by Bloomberg and the Qatari Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Qatar’s foreign minister, said the country remains a “committed partner in mediation and a reliable energy supplier”.

Qatar is working diplomatically for stability in the region, he said, adding diplomacy and economic stability are closely linked.

Sheikh Mohammed’s comments come after an Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Doha presented Washington with a seven-point list of demands by Tehran to end the nearly seven-month war launched by the US and Israel.

Qatar working towards resumption of US-Iran talks

Qatar has been exchanging ideas on resuming the US-Iran talks, says the Foreign Ministry.

A spokesperson added that:

• Our officials are currently shuttling between different capitals in the hope of making progress on this path.
• We have heard assurances from US administration officials that Washington wants to reach an agreement.
• We need a regional solution that achieves stability and an international understanding that protects waterways such as Hormuz.

Qatar PM: Regional security needs respect for sovereignty, not cycles of escalation

Qatar’s prime minister has warned that lasting security cannot be built through “repeated cycles of escalation and retaliation”.

“Permanent security cannot be built through arrangements that leave any state vulnerable to the absence of security,” said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

The region needs a “framework where sovereignty is respected” and no state can pose a “threat to another”.

“We have worked with our regional and international partners to keep channels of communication open and to reduce tensions,” he added, urging that trust must be built and sources of tension addressed.

Qatar able to resume normal gas production ‘few weeks’ after Hormuz is reopened

Qatar’s Energy Minister and CEO of QatarEnergy says the state-run energy company is producing a “very minute” amount of LNG and the country could resume normal gas production a few weeks after the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.

At the Qatar Economic Forum, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi said critical equipment was unable to reach Qatar due to the Hormuz crisis.

Iran says drone shot down over Strait of Hormuz

The Iranian military says it shot down a drone over the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran’s Fars news agency.

CENTCOM says 109 commercial ships redirected since Hormuz blockade

The US CENTCOM claims to have redirected 109 commercial vessels since the blockade on the Strait of Hormuz was reinstated in July.

In a statement on X, CENTCOM said the ships were redirected to “ensure total compliance” with the blockade on one of the world’s most strategic waterways.

There is no evidence that supports CENTCOM's serial claims.

US virtual embassy in Iran issues alert urging citizens to leave country

The US virtual embassy in Iran has issued a security alert warning all citizens not to travel to Iran “for any reason” and to leave the country.

In a statement posted to its website, the embassy said that “Iranian-supported Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports. This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly”.