Iran’s Deal With the US Must End the War on All Fronts
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi of Iran has stressed that any potential agreement with the United States must secure an end to the war on all fronts, as well as the lifting of Tehran’s sea blockade and the sanctions that have encircled the country.
Gharibabadi, according to Press TV on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, outlined Iran’s conditions for reaching a deal with the US to end the war as he spoke to members of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in the Iranian parliament on Monday, 18 May.
The committee’s spokesperson, Ebrahim Rezaei, said that the deputy foreign minister provided MPs with the latest information on the indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington, as well as proposals submitted by both sides via the mediator Pakistan.
“Gharibabadi underscored that in any possible agreement, it must be recorded that the war ends on all fronts, including Lebanon; US forces must withdraw from the area around Iran; the sea blockade must be lifted; sanctions must be lifted; and Iran’s assets must be unfrozen,” Rezaei stated, relaying the information delivered by the Iranian deputy foreign minister.
According to Rezaei, Gharibabadi also emphasised that it was the US that had requested a ceasefire and negotiations, while Iran had never sought negotiations with Washington during the war.
He added that Gharibabadi revealed Iran had sent its latest proposal, via Islamabad as mediator, in response to Washington’s peace suggestion, and had not yet received an official reply from Washington.
Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference on Monday, 18 May, that Tehran’s response to Washington’s latest proposal had been “delivered to the American side through the Pakistani mediator”.
Baghaei said Iran’s demands include the release of frozen assets abroad and the lifting of sanctions.
“The points raised are Iran’s demands that have been steadfastly maintained by Iran’s negotiating team at every round of negotiations,” he said.
Washington and Tehran have exchanged several proposals in recent weeks as a fragile six-week ceasefire holds. However, Islamabad-mediated peace talks stalled, with US President Donald Trump calling the ceasefire “in critical condition”.
A Pakistani source suggested that progress toward the US–Iran peace effort remains difficult. He said both sides “continue to change their targets”.
“We do not have much time,” the Pakistani source said.
Iran is known to have set out several conditions for the US, including seeking compensation for war damage, ending the US blockade of Tehran’s port, and halting fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon where Israel and Iran-backed Hizballah are active.
Meanwhile, the US has urged Iran to dismantle its nuclear programme and to lift the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway for global oil and gas supplies.