Iran

Iran sets 5 conditions for new talks with US: Report

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Iranians gather at Enqelab Square to protest against the United States and Israel in Tehran, Iran, on April 12, 2026. [Fatemeh Bahrami – Anadolu Agency]

Iran will not enter a second round of negotiations with the United States unless five trust-building conditions are met, Fars News Agency reported Tuesday, citing an informed source, Anadolu reports.

The source said Tehran considers the conditions to be “minimum guarantees” necessary for starting any new negotiations with Washington.

According to the report, Iran’s conditions include “ending the war on all fronts, especially Lebanon,” lifting sanctions, releasing frozen Iranian assets, compensating for war damage and recognizing Iran’s sovereignty rights over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran also informed Pakistani mediators that the continuation of the US naval blockade in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman after the ceasefire has further reinforced Tehran’s distrust toward negotiations with the United States, the source said.

The report added that the conditions were defined solely within the framework of creating minimum confidence for returning to talks and that Tehran believes new negotiations cannot begin without their practical implementation.

According to Fars, Iran presented the five conditions in response to what it described as a 14-point US proposal.

Israel sent Iron Dome batteries, personnel to UAE during Iran war: US envoy

The report claimed the US proposal was “completely one-sided” and aimed at securing through negotiations objectives Washington failed to achieve during the war.

The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended by US President Donald Trump without a set deadline.

On Sunday, Iran sent Pakistan its response to a US proposal for ending the war, but Trump dismissed it as “totally unacceptable.”

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Keir Starmer confirms that he doesn't know anything about democracy.
Keir Starmer confirms that he doesn’t know anything about democracy.

Continue ReadingIran sets 5 conditions for new talks with US: Report

UK to deploy drones, fighter jets, warship for future Hormuz security mission

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

UK Defense Secretary John Healey leaves Downing Street after attending the weekly Cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, United Kingdom on October 14, 2025. [Raşid Necati Aslım – Anadolu Agency]

The United Kingdom will deploy drones, Typhoon fighter jets and the Royal Navy warship HMS Dragon as part of a future multinational mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz, the UK Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, Anadolu reports.

The announcement came after a virtual summit involving defence ministers and representatives from more than 40 countries participating in the planned multinational military mission.

According to the ministry, the UK contribution will include autonomous mine-hunting systems, counter-drone capabilities and mine-clearance specialists, backed by 115 million pounds ($152 million) in new funding.

The package will also feature the Royal Navy’s modular “Beehive” system equipped with autonomous Kraken drone boats designed to detect, track and respond to threats.

HMS Dragon is already heading to the Middle East after additional preparations and training, the ministry said, adding that the destroyer’s advanced Sea Viper air defence system would be available for potential future operations in the Strait of Hormuz.

British Typhoon fighter jets stationed in the region will also be prepared to conduct air patrols over the strategic waterway.

Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK was “playing a leading role to secure the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iran sets 5 conditions for new talks with US: Report

“New funding for autonomous mine-hunting and counter-drone systems, our advanced Typhoon jets and HMS Dragon are strong and clear commitments,” Healey said.

“With our allies, this multinational mission will be defensive, independent and credible,” he added.

The ministry said the operation would become active “when conditions allow” and stressed that the mission’s purpose was to restore confidence in commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global trade route through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.

The UK currently has more than 1,000 military personnel stationed across the region, including counter-drone teams and fast-jet squadrons, according to the statement.

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

dizzy: Starmer & Co are clinging on to support Israel and increase the UK’s active participation in Israel’s genocidal expansion despite clearly lacking a mandate.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer confirms that he doesn't know anything about democracy.
Keir Starmer confirms that he doesn’t know anything about democracy.

Continue ReadingUK to deploy drones, fighter jets, warship for future Hormuz security mission

UK deploys Royal Navy warship to Mideast ahead of possible Hormuz security mission

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyer HMS Dragon. [Flickr]

The UK is deploying a Royal Navy warship to the Middle East in preparation for a possible multinational mission to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the Defense Ministry said on Saturday, Anadolu Agency reports.

The HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer previously stationed in the eastern Mediterranean near Cyprus, will “pre-position” in the region and stand ready to join a UK- and French-led maritime initiative once conditions allow, multiple UK news outlets reported, citing the ministry spokesman.

The proposed mission, backed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, aims to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

“We can confirm that HMS Dragon will deploy to the Middle East to pre-position ahead of any future multinational mission to protect international shipping when conditions allow them to transit the Strait of Hormuz,” the spokesperson said.

READ: UK crackdown on pro-Palestine speech faces landmark legal test

“The pre-positioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning that will ensure that the UK is ready, as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by the UK and France, to secure the strait, when conditions allow.”

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended by Trump without a set deadline, giving way to diplomacy for a permanent solution to the conflict.

Since April 13, the US has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the waterway. Trump announced Tuesday that the US military will temporarily pause “Project Freedom” to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and said the American blockade will remain “in full force and effect.”

READ: Trump threatens to resume ‘Project Freedom Plus’ if Iran deal not sealed

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel's Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don't do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.

Continue ReadingUK deploys Royal Navy warship to Mideast ahead of possible Hormuz security mission

War with Iran ‘not over,’ says Israeli prime minister

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

People gather to protest the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government toward Palestinians in West Jerusalem on April 18, 2026. [Mostafa Alkharouf – Anadolu Agency]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the war with Iran “is not over,” Anadolu reports.

“The war with Iran is not over, and the enrichment facilities must be dismantled and the highly enriched uranium removed,” Netanyahu told the US’ CBS News in an interview, excerpts of which were posted by Israeli news site Walla.

He said the objectives of the US/Israeli war against Tehran – currently under a ceasefire – include “removing enriched uranium, dismantling enrichment sites, halting ballistic missile production, and neutralizing Iran’s proxies in the region.”

“There is still work to be done because Iran still possesses capabilities, even though we have significantly reduced them,” he claimed.

Netanyahu said it is possible to “go in and take the uranium” from Iran, refusing to elaborate, but claimed that US President Donald Trump told him: “I want to go in there.”

Iran can endure US blockade for months without major economic crisis: Report

On Saturday, Israeli media claimed that Trump pledged to Netanyahu that he would not make any concessions on the Iranian uranium issue, as Tel Aviv awaits Washington’s decision on the future of its dealings with Tehran.

Israeli Channel 13, citing an unnamed official, said that Israel is “continuously awaiting and anticipating” Trump’s decision on Iran.

Early Sunday, Iran sent to Pakistani mediators its response to the latest US proposal for ending the war, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported, without giving details about its content.

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended by Trump without a set deadline, giving way to diplomacy for a permanent solution to the war.

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel's Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don't do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.

Continue ReadingWar with Iran ‘not over,’ says Israeli prime minister

‘Desperately Bouncing From One Extreme to Another’: Trump Pauses ‘Project Freedom’ in Strait of Hormuz

Spread the love

Article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

US President Donald Trump speaks flanked by top administration officials at the White House in Washington, DC on March 26, 2026.(Photo by Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

An Iranian official said Trump’s operation “failed completely” and that Iran “will not participate in direct negotiations until the United States formally announces the end of the blockade.”

US President Donald Trump announced late Tuesday that he is putting his administration’s scheme to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz on hold after just one full day, a decision that came hours after top American officials touted the president’s so-called “Project Freedom” at press briefings.

Trump said in a social media post that he paused the project—which allowed just two commercial ships to pass through the strait—“based on the request of Pakistan and other countries.” The US president, whose war of choice is historically unpopular with the American public, also asserted that “Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran,” a claim that Iran rejected.

RECOMMENDED…

Cargo boat natigates sea

Trump’s Strait of Hormuz Ploy Aims to Manufacture ‘Pretext for Escalation,’ Iran Warns

U.S. Vice President JD Vance Leads U.S. Delegation In Peace Talks With Iran In Pakistan

‘Designed-to-Backfire’: Trump Slammed for Closure of Hormuz Strait as Iran Talks Falter

As Pakistan’s prime minister welcomed Trump’s announcement, an unnamed Iranian official told Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill that the US president’s short-lived operation “failed completely” and that his statement announcing the pause of Project Freedom was “riddled with falsehoods.” The official added that “we will not participate in direct negotiations until the United States formally announces the end of the blockade.”

The US president said in his post that the illegal US naval blockade of Iran would “remain in full force and effect.”

“Trump is desperately bouncing from one extreme to another,” said political scientist Robert Pape in response to Trump’s announcement.

Trump’s decision to put Project Freedom on hold came shortly after Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed the president’s initiative as a bold mission to rescue some 1,600 vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed in response to the unlawful US-Israeli war and subsequent naval blockade.

“Iran’s plan, a form of international extortion, is unacceptable. That ends with Project Freedom,” Hegseth declared during a press briefing on Tuesday morning.

Rubio similarly decried Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz—located in Omani and Iranian territorial waters—as violations of international law.

“There is no international law that allows you to say: I’m going to put mines in an international body of water, and I’m going to blow up ships that don’t listen to us and try to go through,” said Rubio.

Legal scholar Maryam Jamshidi rejected the top US diplomat’s assessment, calling it “all wrong.”

“Hormuz is not international waters,” Jamshidi wrote. “It’s an international strait composed of the territorial waters of Iran and Oman. Iran can mine its territorial waters during wartime. The laws of naval warfare also allow Iran to target ships in certain cases. The US is the only criminal here.”

Article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.

Continue Reading‘Desperately Bouncing From One Extreme to Another’: Trump Pauses ‘Project Freedom’ in Strait of Hormuz