New Demands from Tehran
Iran's leaders have issued a new set of demands for reopening the Strait of Hormuz that would amount to an essential surrender by the US. The IRGC-led Supreme National Security Council, which determines high-level national interest policy, has called for the US to commit to never threatening Iran again, and immediately ending the war with Iran and its 'armed allies'. The statement, published on state media, also demanded the US lift its naval blockade and withdraw its military.[S2]
The US must also 'completely compensate' Iran for war damage, lift sanctions on the regime, and release all Iranian frozen assets. However, fulfilling these conditions won't guarantee the return of the Strait of Hormuz as an international waterway, with Iranian leadership continuing to reinforce the point that control of the strait is now an Iranian lever. IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi told gathered Iranian reporters the strait was now a 'tool of power and war', according to state outlet IRNA.[S2]
US Response and Regional Tensions
The US, which has not responded to the new list of Iranian demands, has previously stated the naval blockade on Iranian ports would remain in force until the Strait of Hormuz re-opened. The United Arab Emirates today blamed an attack on a tanker in the strait on an Iranian missile, while shipping data shows usage of the strait remains very low compared to pre-war levels. There were no casualties from the reported attack, according to Emirati authorities.[S2]
Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have signalled they are close to a resolution on navigation routes through the strait, though this will not result in a re-opening. Oman, a neutral party with friendly ties to both Tehran and Washington DC, also said talks were progressing positively, but condemned attacks on shipping, according to Associated Press.[S2]
Military and Diplomatic Maneuvering
Sources have told CNN that the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, has told Trump advisors the country needs to find a way out of the extended conflict. 'Caine is looking for an off ramp,' one source told CNN. It comes after reports emerged last week that the US had expended huge amounts of strategic long-range ballistic missiles and missile interceptors in its war - something Iranian commanders have also remarked on.[S2]
'One of our greatest successes in this battle is that we were able to use weapons that cost far less than the enemy's equipment to defeat their very expensive systems and weapons,' the IRGC's Mohebbi told reporters. 'This means that we have prevailed over the enemy not only in terms of technology, but also in resource management.' Sources said Caine had raised the issue with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.[S2]
Sources told CNN it was Caine's belief that bombing campaigns, however extensive, were unlikely to change Tehran's position on what it views as an existential conflict for regime survival. And Trump remains reluctant to commit to putting troops on the ground, despite the ongoing crisis.[S2]
