Iran’s new demands from US: $24 billion, Yemen, Lebanon and nukes

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that the war with the United States could come to an end if Washington stops threatening Iran and meets a series of conditions set by Tehran, including demands concerning its nuclear program.

IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohibi, quoted by Iran’s Fars News Agency, said that if the United States seeks to end the current situation, it must completely halt the war and refrain from making further threats against Iran.

He added that Iran’s conditions include the withdrawal of the Israeli military from Lebanon, an end to the blockade imposed on Yemen, the release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets, and an end to any interference with Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.

Earlier on Wednesday, the IRGC announced that a new restricted maritime zone outside the Strait of Hormuz would cover parts of the Gulf of Oman and areas beyond it. The precise coordinates of the zone are expected to be announced at a later stage.

Mohibi told Iranian state television that the restricted area would begin approximately off Chabahar and extend into portions of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

He warned that vessels entering the designated area without prior coordination would face punitive measures, including the denial of services connected with maritime navigation.

Military confrontations between Iran and the United States have continued in and around the Strait of Hormuz, with both sides seeking to assert control over the strategic waterway.

Traffic through the strait has been almost entirely disrupted since the escalation began. Iran has required vessels to obtain advance authorization before passing through the waterway, a measure opposed by Washington and several countries in the region.

The United States, meanwhile, has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and introduced additional sanctions targeting Iranian airlines as part of increased economic pressure on Tehran.