Iran has laid out two conditions for ending the war with the United States and Israel: binding "nonaggression" guarantees and monetary compensation for the damage inflicted on the country, according to an Iranian diplomat, as "Hvylya" reports, citing the Washington Post.
Tehran views both demands as essential to prevent a repeat attack. "Iran is not willing for a premature ceasefire like the 12-day war," the diplomat said, referring to last year's conflict between Israel and Iran during which the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear sites. The lesson Tehran drew from that episode was clear: any deal without enforceable security provisions would simply give its enemies time to regroup.
The demands were communicated after Qatari and Omani officials initiated contact with Tehran last week. The Gulf mediators assessed that overwhelming U.S. and Israeli military force would be unable to topple the Iranian government in the near term. Iran's initial response was blunt: it would only engage if the U.S. and Israel stopped attacking first.
The scale of destruction behind Iran's compensation demand is significant. The U.S. and Israel have hit more than 15,000 targets across the country, according to the Pentagon, destroying military infrastructure, municipal buildings, and eliminating senior leadership. Iran's Health Ministry says more than 1,200 civilians have been killed, including over 160 people - mostly children - in a strike on a school.
European diplomats say the economic pressure on the West has so far remained manageable - not enough to force Washington's hand. But rising energy prices are causing concern, and the longer the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted, the higher the costs climb. "They don't feel any pressure to negotiate," one European diplomat said.
Also read: Iran Begins Selective Passage for Merchant Ships Through Strait of Hormuz.