Iran's Security Chief Calls US Response 'Not Convincing,' Insists on Seven Conditions for Hormuz

Iran's security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, said the latest US response to Tehran's peace proposal was not convincing and that the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until Washington fully and explicitly addresses and acts on Iran's seven conditions. He made the statement on Tuesday, writing on X. Those conditions reportedly include US payment for war damages, an end to economic pressure, and lifting the naval blockade of Iranian ports, with talks on Iran's nuclear program set aside until later. The statement followed a letter from Vice President JD Vance to Rezaei and several days of indirect talks mediated by Qatar. Axios reported that Vance wrote that any negotiations require discussions on the nuclear issue, which Iranian officials have repeatedly rejected. Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said both parties remain committed and are reviewing Qatar's proposals. Over the weekend, President Trump said he had a good talk with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the US might still need to hit one or two more targets, including a suspected nuclear site at Pickaxe Mountain, and spoke of giving Tehran "the hammer." Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei warned of no geographical limits if fighting resumes.

CBS News, on the left, leads with Trump's Sunday remarks, his call with Netanyahu, Axios-sourced reporting that Netanyahu urged a strike while Trump prefers letting talks play out, and Trump's hints at resuming attacks after the midterms. It also cites Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on a proposal that could reopen Hormuz. The New York Post, on the right, leads with Rezaei's quote and frames Iran's seven demands as outlandish and as the same ones Trump rejected last month, stressing war-damage payments and the nuclear and missile carve-out, while omitting Qatar's role and Trump's threats. Both sides report Iran's rejection and the Hormuz-for-conditions link; they differ in whose voices lead and how the demands are characterized. Alternative outlets ZeroHedge and Antiwar.com add distinct detail: Qatar's stated hope, Vance's letter, oil price swings, tanker explosions, claimed drone downings and US strikes on Qeshm Island.