Iran conditions further nuclear talks on US confidence-building measures

Iran's parliament leadership has made clear that progress in negotiations with the United States depends on Washington taking concrete steps to build trust between the two nations. Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee, stated that "everything depends on whether the US takes confidence-building measures," and that tangible results from such steps would be necessary to provide a foundation for further diplomatic progress. This position aligns with earlier statements from another parliament official, Ebrahim Rezai, who emphasized that Iran believes any successful agreement with the United States must be based on the principle of "action for action."

The statement comes amid an ongoing diplomatic process between Iran and the US that has seen multiple phases since hostilities began in February 2026. Following a military operation launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, President Donald Trump announced a "double-sided" two-week ceasefire in early April. Subsequent rounds of talks held in Islamabad on April 11 failed to produce a long-term resolution, with both sides citing numerous disagreements as obstacles to agreement.

Even as negotiations have continued through various extensions and postponements of military operations, the parties have struggled to reach final consensus on key issues. While Trump indicated on May 23 that an agreement had been largely negotiated, he acknowledged the following day that final agreements on several issues remained elusive. Iran's current emphasis on requiring demonstrable confidence-building measures from the US suggests that Tehran views such concrete actions as essential preconditions for moving negotiations forward toward a lasting settlement.