Iran’s Ghalibaf: Peace is our priority if Washington accepts our conditions

Iranian Parliament Speaker and head of the negotiating delegation Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf spoke to Al Jazeera about negotiations with Washington, the Strait of Hormuz and the risk of further conflict:We have reached an understanding with #عمان on the shipping lane and traffic separation scheme in the Strait of HormuzOur priority is peace if they accept our conditions, and we do not want the war to continue.Continuing the war will harm the countries of the region, their security and their economies.The Americans visited Moscow and asked Putin to speak with Iran to arrange direct negotiations between us.If Trump decides to go to war again, he will face another defeat.Washington has imposed a blockade on us, preventing food from reaching us and obstructing trade and health services.We are determined to move beyond the state of neither war nor peace, not necessarily through negotiations but through sustained deterrence.We will not allow America to wear us down, and we will continue to stand firm.Ending the war with Iran and the resistance front is one of the points in the memorandum of understanding and one of our seven conditions.If America or Israel starts a war, we will confront them together and respond to any attack.We have given America a clear and transparent response that includes our demands.Washington has not yet provided an official and specific response to our letter.Washington must meet our seven conditions to open the Strait of Hormuz and resume negotiations.We have presented a clear and transparent response to America that includes our demands.The ball is now in the Americans’ court, and they must make a decision and announce it.There has been no change in the negotiating team, and I remain in charge of the negotiations.An agreement with Washington can be reached if it sticks to what was agreed upon and does not act in a way that erodes trust.What is preventing an agreement is our lack of trust in Washington and its efforts to impose excessive demands.The Americans miscalculated when they attacked us and were frustrated because they failed to achieve anything.Analysis:The door to an agreement remains open, but the conditions remain firm. Ghalibaf says peace is the priority while tying the reopening of Hormuz and renewed negotiations to Washington meeting Iran’s seven conditions. His comments about sustained deterrence also suggest Tehran is prepared to maintain the standoff if talks fail to deliver its demands.For oil traders, the key question is whether those positions produce an agreement that restores shipping through Hormuz. These headlines offer a willingness to negotiate, but no confirmed breakthrough. Ghalibaf says Washington has yet to provide an official, specific response. That response—and whether it narrows the differences—is the next point to watch.Crude oil moves higherTechnically, crude oil buyers are trying to take back some control after the sharp decline from the November high. In trading today, the price initially found resistance near a key cluster defined by the 50% midpoint of the move up from the July low at $86.93, the 200-day moving average at $87.35, and the 100-day moving average at $87.41. However, buyers have now pushed above that area, with the price trading near $88.22.That puts the $86.93–$87.41 area in focus as a barometer for buyers and sellers. Stay above, and the buyers have a foundation to build on. The next upside target comes at the natural resistance level of $90, followed by the broken 38.2% retracement at $91.56. Sellers could lean against that retracement on a first test, but a move above would give buyers more confidence.Conversely, a move back below the moving averages and the 50% midpoint would undermine the breakout and shift the bias back toward the sellers. The recent low near $84 would then come back into view, followed by the 61.8% retracement at $82.30. The buyers have made a move. They now need to hold above the technical cluster to keep that recovery going. This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com.