Iran denies talks with US, says Strait of Hormuz stays shut until its seven conditions are met

Iran has rejected reports that it is negotiating with the United States and said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until Washington responds to its list of seven conditions for ending the war, which is now in its ninth month.

Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's security chief, told Lebanon's Al Mayadeen television on Wednesday that claims of talks or of a planned meeting in Qatar were "a pure lie". He said the US reply so far had been "insufficient and deceptive" and accused Washington of talking up diplomacy to calm oil markets, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.

What Tehran is demanding

Iran has not published its full list of conditions. Statements by Rezaei and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicate it includes lifting sanctions, ending the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and a halt to fighting on all fronts, in particular Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Araghchi said the conflict could not be settled through military force or tighter sanctions, and that the strait could reopen within two days if Iran's demands were met.

On Tuesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said at least three oil tankers caught fire after hitting naval mines on what it called an unauthorised route in the eastern part of the strait. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported incidents involving two tankers. These claims have not been independently verified, and no casualty figures were given.

Washington's position

US President Donald Trump said after meeting Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the White House on Monday that Iran was "effectively over" militarily, while adding that US forces remained "locked and loaded". He has said further strikes are unnecessary for now but that the blockade will stay. Gulf states, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, have urged him to hold off on new attacks.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in Paris on the sidelines of a G7 foreign ministers' meeting, said the US was open to diplomacy and that major combat was not needed while economic pressure was achieving the same goals. Qatar's foreign ministry said it saw progress after the White House meeting but could not say how close a deal was.

Why it matters for India

The standoff feeds directly into fuel prices. Brent crude slipped below $90 a barrel on Tuesday for the first time since August on hopes of an end to the war, before recovering to about $92-93 on Wednesday. India imports most of its crude oil, and a large share of Gulf supplies normally passes through Hormuz, so any prolonged closure affects the import bill, inflation and the rupee. One economist quoted by Bloomberg expects Brent to stay above $85 without a deal with Tehran.