Iran Says US Must Lift Sanctions, End War to Start Talks

Tehran is framing the lifting of sanctions and an end to the war as preconditions rather than bargaining chips, which effectively shifts the burden onto Washington before any dialogue can begin. That sequencing matters because it narrows the room for the incremental, partial steps that have historically kept channels open. The statement affects both sides' room for maneuver and, by extension, markets sensitive to Gulf risk. Whether the precondition framing is a fixed position or an opening bid is the open question.