No talks with US until conditions met

A senior Iranian official has reiterated the country's position that it will not agree to holding negotiations with the United States until Tehran's conditions are met.

Mohsen Rezaee, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said in a social media post on Tuesday, "Don't get distracted by the U.S. president's mixed signals," adding, "The stakes around oil and the straits have changed."

This comes amid reports that Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have seized control of key areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. It is a vital waterway at the mouth of the Red Sea serving as an alternative route for the Strait of Hormuz.

Rezaee's post in English also said: "Damage control won't stop what's coming. No talks until Iran's conditions are met. Period!"

Reuters says the Houthi advance down the Red Sea coast came with direct guidance from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and that Iran promised the Houthis more funding and weapons.