Iran restates prior US-Iran memorandum demands amid Strait of Hormuz tensions
Iran has reiterated conditions similar to those in a June memorandum of understanding with the United States, including lifting sanctions and ending the naval blockade, while adding a request for reparations. The U.S. administration has described its approach to negotiations with Iran as limited.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council issued a proposal on Saturday that the country will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until the United States ends its naval blockade, lifts sanctions on Iranian oil, releases frozen Iranian assets, withdraws military forces from the region, and pays reparations for damage caused by U.S. bombings since February. Except for the reparations demand, the conditions echo several articles of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by U.S. and Iranian negotiators in mid-June, which was described by the Trump administration as a framework for a future agreement.
The MoU collapsed within a week as the parties interpreted its provisions differently. Iranian officials, including senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, have presented the document again, emphasizing their interpretation and adding the reparations request.
President Donald Trump told an Axios reporter that the United States is "low-keying" negotiations with Iran and is "semi-negotiating" while monitoring Iran's economic situation. He suggested that the United States is waiting for Iran's internal challenges to resolve the dispute.
In related diplomatic developments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the 15-point Gaza peace plan presented by the Trump administration earlier in the month.
Analysts note that while the MoU was considered unfavorable to the United States, it may still be preferable to a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz or renewed armed conflict. Some elements of Iran's current proposal, such as reparations, could potentially be merged with sanctions relief and asset release negotiations. However, the demand for a U.S. military withdrawal would likely not entail dismantling existing bases in the region.
Observers suggest that a more traditional diplomatic approach could improve the situation, though they also indicate that significant changes in U.S. leadership might be required to achieve a lasting resolution.