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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Thursday that the United States carrot-and-stick approach would not influence Tehran, stressing that progress towards peace talks rested on acceptance of Irans seven conditions.
Irans conditions have been repeatedly and clearly stated to the mediators. The carrot-and-stick approach does not affect Iran, Ghalibaf wrote on X. Progress can only be achieved once Iran's seven conditions have been agreed upon. His comments followed reports that mediators had alerted Iran to the possibility of renewed US airstrikes unless it accepted nuclear concessions. In exchange, Washington was said to be ready to ease some sanctions and end its naval blockade of Iran. Amid efforts to revive negotiations, Iranian news agencies Tasnim and Fars reported on Thursday that Tehran had received a letter from US Vice President JD Vance but had yet to reply. Tasnim reported that Iran has received the letter but has not yet responded, while Fars cited a source familiar with the matter for a similar account. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Vance had sent the letter to Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei on the direction of President Donald Trump. The step sought to restart negotiations and avert further US strikes. According to the newspaper, the letter and later contacts between officials from both sides concentrated on establishing a possible framework for negotiations rather than defining precise terms for a peace agreement. These diplomatic efforts are unfolding during a war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military commanders. Meanwhile, Irans armed forces said at least three oil tankers had caught fire after striking mines while trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The claim came a day after the US military announced it had cleared main routes through the waterway. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) stated that three tankers had exploded and caught fire over the previous 24 hours while seeking to use what it called an unauthorised southern route through the strait. According to the IRGC, the vessels had switched off all their radar and navigation systems and disregarded warnings from the Iranian navy. (ANI)
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