Iran tells Pakistan army chief no talks with Washington until demands are met

CAIRO, Oct 20 (Reuters) – Iran told Pakistan’s army chief on Tuesday that there would be no talks with Washington until Tehran’s demands were met, Iranian media reported, ​underscoring its hardening stance despite mediation efforts by key ‌interlocutor Pakistan.

President Masoud Pezeshkian discussed mediation efforts and regional developments with Field Marshal Asim Munir in Tehran, according to  Nournews.

Pakistan is a key intermediary between the United States and Iran. Earlier mediation efforts helped produce an interim ‌peace ​agreement in June, but the Islamabad ⁠Memorandum quickly unravelled as fighting between ⁠Iran and the US resumed weeks after.

Munir also met Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who said Washington could not regain Tehran’s trust until it fulfilled seven conditions Iran set ​last month for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to an Iranian readout of the meeting.

The demands include ending a ⁠US blockade on its ports, the ⁠lifting of sanctions on its oil exports as ​well as ending hostilities on all regional fronts.

Iran’s security chief, Mohsen ​Rezaei, delivered  a similar message during a separate meeting ‌with Munir, saying there would be no talks with Washington until Tehran’s demands were met, according to Iranian media.

Rezaei also said all enriched nuclear materials would remain in Iran, reiterating Supreme Leader ⁠Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s  position that near-weapons-grade uranium should not be shipped abroad.

US Vice President JD Vance said earlier this month that Iran must make ⁠a “meaningful” reduction in its ‌uranium enrichment capacity to satisfy US demands ⁠and end the countries’ eight-month-old war.

Israel, the United ​States ‌and other Western states have long accused Iran ​of seeking ⁠nuclear weapons, including pointing to its move to enrich uranium to 60%, far higher than needed for civilian uses and closer to the 90% needed for a weapon.

Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.

(Reporting by Menna Alaa El-Din and Yasmine Ghania, Editing by Alexandra Hudson ​and Sanjeev Miglani)