Rather than capitulating to the US, Iran toughens its demands over the vital Strait of Hormuz
The list of demands from Iran can’t have surprised the White House. Hardliners have been repeating the mantra on a daily basis: the limited agreement in the works with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz is not the same as reopening the vital waterway in the way Washington wants. For that, they say, “America must … The post Rather than capitulating to the US, Iran toughens its demands over the vital…
Iran has escalated its demands in the ongoing dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, refusing to budge from its stance despite the US pursuing a limited agreement with Oman. Hardliners within the Iranian government have been vocal in their insistence that the existing memorandum of understanding does not equate to the full reopening of the strategic waterway, which Washington seeks. In a bold move, Iran has now laid out a series of conditions that could potentially hinder any immediate resolution to the conflict.
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, a senior official within the Revolutionary Guards, outlined the demands, emphasizing that Iran believes it holds the upper hand in the dispute. These demands include the removal of the US naval blockade, the withdrawal of American military forces from the region, payment of damages caused by US-Iranian conflicts, and the lifting of sanctions on Iran and the unconditional release of frozen Iranian assets abroad.
Zolghadr's statements suggest that these conditions must be met before any concessions regarding the Strait of Hormuz can be considered, marking a departure from the formula set forth in the memorandum of understanding.
This approach has raised concerns among experts and former US military leaders. James Stavridis, a former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, warned that Iran may be "overplaying its hand," potentially narrowing the options available to the Trump administration. Stavridis noted that the likelihood of reaching a deal in the near future appears to be diminishing.
The US has not yet responded to Iran's latest demands. Vice President Joe Biden's son, JD Vance, stated that the administration is focused on establishing a safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the current impasse may indicate a stalemate, with Iran asserting that any hope of restarting negotiations with the US hinges on the resolution of US violations of the memorandum of understanding.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated that "as long as the United States has not addressed its violations of the memorandum of understanding and remedied those breaches, we see no possibility of restarting negotiations," acknowledging that there is currently no formal dialogue between the two nations.
Written by urgent.news from Egypt Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
