Iran outlines conditions for ending war with US through Qatar, including end to sanctions

What Happened

On Tuesday during the ongoing United Nations General Assembly, Iranian Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told state media IRNA that Iran had conveyed its conditions for ending hostilities with the United States through Qatari mediators. Baghaei said the conditions and negotiation process were not new but had already been communicated to the US earlier this week. Among the conditions, Baghaei listed a complete end to US aggression, naval blockade, and sanctions, as well as the release of frozen assets belonging to Iran. He said Iran's positions on the Strait of Hormuz and broader regional security remained unchanged, and that Iran's presence at the UNGA allowed it to convey these stances more clearly and explicitly to US diplomats. In his UNGA address, US President Donald Trump denounced Iran, calling it 'the number one sponsor of terror' and 'the bully of the Middle East.' Trump claimed that as a result of Operation Epic Fury, all 159 ships of Iran's navy are now lying at the bottom of the sea, and that Iran's air force, radar, anti-aircraft equipment, and missile and drone manufacturing capacity are gone or almost gone. He threatened Iran, saying either a deal would be made to let Iran rebuild or he would 'annihilate the Islamic Republic' quickly. Baghaei dismissed Trump's speech as repetitive claims and accusations, claiming diplomats from many countries saw the words as stemming 'not from strength, but from desperation,' and said threatening a country with military attack amounts to an admission of committing international crimes.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The exchange shows a public Iranian conditions list delivered through a Qatari backchannel during the UNGA, including an end to US sanctions, naval blockade, and release of frozen assets, while Washington publicly threatens military destruction. It tests whether diplomacy can operate alongside maximum pressure and signals Iranian willingness to define terms for de-escalation, particularly on the Strait of Hormuz, even as Trump's speech asserts the near-total destruction of Iranian military capacity.

Watch For

Monitor whether US officials respond to the Qatari-mediated Iranian conditions, whether direct or indirect US-Iran meetings occur during the remaining UNGA sessions, and any statements from the Iranian Foreign Ministry or IRGC concerning the Strait of Hormuz or frozen assets. Also watch for independent verification or rebuttal of Trump's claims about Operation Epic Fury and the status of Iran's 159 ships, air force, and missile production.