Iran sets five preconditions for renewed negotiations with US: media

TEHRAN -- Iran will not enter a second round of talks with the United States unless five preconditions aimed at building trust are met, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported Tuesday, citing an informed source.

The source described the conditions as "minimum trust-building guarantees" required before any new negotiations with Washington could begin.

According to the source, the conditions include ending hostilities on all fronts, particularly in Lebanon; lifting sanctions on Iran; releasing frozen Iranian assets; compensating Iran for war damage; and recognizing Iran's sovereignty rights over the Strait of Hormuz. The source said the demands were conveyed to the United States in response to a 14-point US proposal.

The source also said Iran had informed Pakistan, which is mediating the talks, that the continued US naval blockade in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman following the ceasefire had reinforced Tehran's view that negotiations with Washington were unreliable.

The source said the conditions were intended solely to establish a minimum level of trust needed to resume dialogue.

Iran sent its response to the latest US draft proposal for ending the conflict to the Pakistani mediator on Sunday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Tehran's proposal sought only to secure the Iranian people's "legitimate" rights.

Iran and the United States agreed to a ceasefire on April 8 after 40 days of fighting that began with US and Israeli strikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities on Feb 28. Iranian and US delegations later held a round of talks in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, but failed to reach an agreement.

The two sides have exchanged several draft proposals through Pakistan in recent weeks as part of efforts to end the conflict.