Iran stands by demands to end the war as US ramps up military pressure

Key Points:

• The US conducted overnight air strikes on Iran's southern island of Qeshm, targeting military installations without damaging civilian areas, while Iran maintains these attacks will not alter its demands to end the conflict.
• Iran insists on seven conditions to end the war, including lifting the US blockade and sanctions, rejecting US criticism of these demands as unrealistic, and proposing a return to the Islamabad memorandum with additional terms for the Strait of Hormuz.
• Mediation efforts continue with potential high-level talks between President Trump and Qatar's Prime Minister, but the US objects to Iran's demands, viewing them as seeking benefits before concessions, especially regarding control over the Strait of Hormuz and regional military activities.
• Iran accuses international nuclear inspectors of overstepping their mandate and denies relinquishing enriched uranium, though it is open to downblending, while warning ships to avoid unauthorized routes in the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing maritime attacks and navigation disruptions.
• Analysts expect Iran to pursue a strategy of controlled escalation rather than full-scale retaliation, aiming to pressure Gulf states economically to influence US policy, while the US signals readiness to target civilian infrastructure if large-scale war resumes.