‘No war, no peace’: Can Iran break the deadlock with the US?

Iranian parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says Tehran wants to end the current “no war and no peace” stalemate with the United States, but is waiting for Washington to respond to its terms. Iran is restricting passage through the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting shipping, while the US has increased economic pressure rather than restarting full-scale fighting or accepting Iran’s demands.

Iran says it will agree to a ceasefire, reopen the strait and resume talks via Qatar only after seven conditions are met, including lifting the naval blockade, easing sanctions, releasing frozen funds and formally ending the war. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called the demands unacceptable, though Qatar and President Donald Trump have signalled diplomatic momentum. Analysts warn that the stalemate is unstable: pressure is hurting Iran, but costly for Washington, while neither side wants a deal that looks like surrender.