Iran Says US Must Lift Sanctions, End War Before Talks

The gap here is procedural rather than diplomatic: Tehran is setting maximalist preconditions — sanctions relief, an end to the maritime blockade, a halt to hostilities — before any talks begin, which effectively inverts the usual sequencing where negotiations produce such concessions. That framing matters for anyone tracking how quickly a diplomatic off-ramp could form, since it implies no near-term entry point. The reference to a maritime blockade is the detail worth watching, as it ties the standoff to shipping and energy flows rather than rhetoric alone. Whether Washington engages with these conditions or treats them as non-starters is the open question.