Iran Security Chief: No Negotiations with U.S. Until Demands Are Met

A senior Iranian security official has ruled out any negotiations with the United States, insisting that talks can only resume once Tehran's demands are fully satisfied.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, made the comments in a post on the social media platform X, responding to remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, in which Trump claimed Tehran was eager to strike a deal "quickly and badly" and suggested Washington could restart negotiations with Iran.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump described Iran as "the failing Nation" and said it "wants to make a deal, quickly and badly," adding that he alone would decide whether the U.S. chose to engage, though he indicated Washington remained open to the idea.

Rezaei pushed back sharply, cautioning Iranians against reading too much into what he called Trump's inconsistent messaging. He wrote that people should not be distracted by the U.S. president's mixed signals, which have swung between rejecting negotiations outright and expressing readiness to talk.

He argued that the balance of power around oil supplies and the strategic straits had shifted, and that attempts at damage control from Washington would not halt what he suggested was coming. He was unequivocal in closing: "No talks until Iran's conditions are met. Period!"

Rezaei did not spell out exactly what those conditions were, though as a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, he has consistently maintained that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and under Iranian control, and has said any change would hinge on the U.S. ending the war and blockade, releasing Iran's frozen assets, and agreeing to a region-wide ceasefire covering Lebanon and Gaza. More broadly, Tehran has demanded a halt to U.S. military operations and threats, an end to the American blockade on Iranian shipping, and the lifting of sanctions.

The exchange comes against the backdrop of a diplomatic framework agreed earlier in the year. On June 18, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict in the region on all fronts, including Lebanon. Under that agreement, the two countries were expected to hold negotiations within 60 days, a window that closed on Aug. 17. The outcome of those talks remains uncertain amid a string of recent escalations between Washington and Tehran.