Iran names its price to end war with US after Trump launches new strikes on Tehran

By PHILLIP NIETO, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 14:16, 26 May 2026 | Updated: 14:28, 26 May 2026 The Iranian regime's top negotiators are demanding Donald Trump release $24 billion in frozen funds to end the war after the President launched new strikes on Tehran. Iranian negotiators made the brazen demand while meeting with officials in Qatar on Monday, according to state media.  Iran wants at least half of the funds made immediately available upon signing a memorandum of understanding with the US. The remainder would have to be transferred within a two-month period.  It comes after the US unleashed a barrage of strikes on Monday in southern Iran, targeting regime missile launch sites and boats that CENTCOM said were attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz.  In response, the regime is boasting it shot down a US drone and opened fire on an F-35 stealth jet, forcing it to flee Iranian airspace.  The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the tyrannical military wing of the regime, released a statement claiming a US MQ-9 drone was shot down over the Persian Gulf.  Another advanced drone was reportedly forced to flee, along with a US F-35 jet, after facing fire from the regime's air defenses.  The Daily Mail has contacted US Central Command and the Pentagon regarding the authenticity of the regime's claims. The regime also issued a statement warning that any violation of the ceasefire by the US military or its allies would result in 'decisive' retaliation from Tehran.  A Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet performs during the International Aerospace Exhibition ILA on the opening day at Schoenefeld Airport in Berlin, Germany June 5, 2024 Trump has stated that he would not sign a deal with the regime unless they agreed to abandon their pursuit of nuclear weapons and turn over their stockpile of highly enriched uranium Iranian negotiators also met with officials in Qatar, where they demanded Donald Trump release $24 billion in frozen assets in exchange for signing a deal to end the war The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the tyrannical military wing of the regime, released a statement on Tuesday claiming a US MQ-9 drone was shot down over the Persian Gulf, according to Iranian state media . Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf had traveled to Qatar to reach agreement on a mechanism to implement this demand. Following the US strikes on Monday, Iran has claimed the US has 'blatantly' violated their ceasefire agreement. The US military attacked missile sites and boats trying to lay mines in what it described as 'self-defense strikes' in southern Iran. In its first official response, Iran's foreign ministry says the US 'committed a blatant violation of the ceasefire in the Hormozgan province over the past 48 hours'. 'Without a doubt, the Islamic Republic of Iran will leave no act of aggression unanswered and will not hesitate in the slightest to defend Iran's sovereignty,' the ministry said. Despite the attack, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a deal remained within reach.  Trump has stated that he would not sign a deal with the regime unless they agreed to abandon their pursuit of nuclear weapons and turn over their stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.