Iran told Asim Munir that its enriched nuclear material would remain inside the country, while insisting that Washington meet Tehran’s conditions before negotiations resume.
Tehran is demanding sanctions relief and an end to hostilities, while the US continues to seek concessions over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Pakistan is attempting to revive diplomacy, but disagreements over uranium enrichment, sanctions and maritime access continue to obstruct a settlement.
Iran has ruled out transferring its enriched nuclear material abroad and said negotiations with the United States cannot resume until Washington meets its demands, delivering a firm message to Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir during his visit to Tehran. The statements came as Islamabad renewed efforts to mediate an end to the eight-month-old conflict between Iran and the US, with disagreements over sanctions, military hostilities and Tehran’s nuclear programme continuing to stall diplomacy.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei told Munir that not even a small quantity of enriched nuclear material would leave the country, describing the stockpile as a national asset intended for domestic use, according to Iranian state media. Rezaei also said Washington would have to take steps to rebuild trust and fulfil Tehran’s conditions before negotiations could proceed.
Iran Sets Conditions For Resuming Talks
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian discussed regional developments and mediation efforts with Munir, according to the Iranian news agency Nournews. Tehran’s demands include lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports, removing sanctions on its oil exports and ending hostilities across regional fronts. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also told Munir that Washington could not regain Tehran’s trust without meeting seven conditions set by Iran last month in connection with reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The nuclear dispute remains a major obstacle. The US has called for a substantial reduction in Iran’s uranium enrichment capacity, while Tehran insists that its enriched material must remain within its borders. Iran had enriched uranium to 60% purity before US and Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities in February, a level significantly above that generally required for civilian nuclear power and closer to the roughly 90% associated with weapons-grade uranium. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons, while Washington and its allies have raised concerns about the programme.
Pakistan Renews Mediation As Deadlock Persists
Munir’s visit comes months after Pakistan helped broker an interim agreement between Washington and Tehran in June. The arrangement, known as the Islamabad Memorandum, unravelled after fighting resumed weeks later, leaving key disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions and maritime access unresolved. Pakistan has since continued efforts to bring the sides back to negotiations, while Tehran has maintained that US pressure and military actions must be addressed before a new agreement can be reached.
Washington has insisted that Iran make a meaningful reduction in its enrichment capacity as part of any settlement. The standoff over enriched uranium remains particularly difficult because the US has sought the removal or elimination of highly enriched material, while Iran has rejected transferring it abroad. With Tehran conditioning talks on sanctions relief and an end to hostilities, and Washington demanding nuclear concessions, Munir’s mediation faces significant obstacles to reviving a lasting peace process.
