Tehran refuses to accept 'excessive' US demands, deal to end war still distant, Iran official says

Tehran's conditions would have to be met if the US wants the Strait of Hormuz opened, the official said, adding that nuclear talks could begin afterwards.

Iran and the United States are far from reaching a deal to end the war, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday morning, adding that Tehran would not accept Washington's "excessive demands."

Tehran's conditions would have to be met if the US wants the Strait of Hormuz opened, the official said, adding that nuclear talks could begin afterwards.

Mediators, the official said, were working hard to narrow the diplomatic gaps between Tehran and Washington.

The official also warned that Iran was prepared to respond forcefully to US strikes, both in the region and beyond.

The comments come at a time of heightened diplomatic efforts, with Qatar acting as a key intermediary, to prevent a potential return to active conflict after the midterms. 

US strikes Iran's Qeshm Island

On Monday night, a US official confirmed to The Jerusalem Post that the US carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

The strikes, initially reported by the Wall Street Journal, appeared to be limited and were not a resumption of major combat operations, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

"IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) personnel launched a missile from Qeshm Island toward an American aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz, and in response, the Americans launched a surface-to-air missile in self-defense," a US official told the Post.

Ariella Roitman and Amichai Stein contributed to this report.