Rezaei said Iran was awaiting a US response to its conditions, which had been conveyed to the United States through mediators. They include ending the war on all fronts, unfreezing Iranian funds and lifting the naval blockade. Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was more explicit, saying that “Tehran will use military force to deter its enemies and diplomacy to consolidate its gains on the battlefield when the time is right.” He added that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until Iran’s conditions were met and US commitments were fulfilled, in reference to the memorandum of understanding signed on June 17.
