The White House on Sunday spelled out the “red lines” it says Iran wasn’t able to agree to during marathon talks in Pakistan this weekend.
Many are conditions Iran has previously rejected, as Tehran appears to maintain its hardline stance even after six weeks of war.
According to a White House official, the nonnegotiable parameters President Donald Trump set for Iran include:
- Ending all of its uranium enrichment
- Dismantling its major nuclear enrichment facilities, which were badly damaged during a US bombing run last June
- Retrieving the more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium believed to be buried underground
- Accepting a broader “peace, security and de-escalation framework” that includes regional allies
- Ending funding for terrorist proxy groups Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis
- Fully opening the Strait of Hormuz, and charging no tolls for passage
As JD Vance was departing Islamabad this weekend, the vice president said he placed a “best and final” offer on the table, suggesting there was still time for Iran to accept the US conditions.
And while the talks were tough at moments, the meetings were not entirely acrimonious. The two sides developed a measure of respect for each other after spending hours behind closed doors, according to Trump and other people familiar with the talks.
Still, given previous Iranian resistance to a number of the US demands, it wasn’t clear Tehran would submit to Trump’s terms anytime soon. With the strait still effectively closed, Iran believes it enjoys substantial leverage over the US, a position that was clear to negotiators this weekend.
Trump and Vance hold a different view: that after weeks of war, Iran is badly weakened and would be wise to accept their demands, despite previous reluctance. Trump’s announcement of a US naval blockade in the strait is another pressure tactic meant to drive that point home.