Iran issues Trump surrender document with nine conditions to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Iran has issued a list of nine conditions to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a move characterized by the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as an American surrender document. The demands, reported by Iranian media and Yahoo News, emerged as Tehran insists the vital waterway will remain closed until Washington corrects its behavior. Iran's Supreme National Security Council stated the country would never compromise in conflict or negotiations, maintaining that the US must fulfill its conditions before the passage can fully reopen.

Among the nine conditions are an end to US threats against Iran, a permanent cessation of American military action against Iran and its regional allies, the lifting of the naval blockade, and the withdrawal of US troops. Tehran is further demanding $300 billion in compensation for war damage, the removal of all sanctions, and the unconditional release of frozen Iranian assets. According to reporting from the Mirror, the terms permit Iran to levy up to seven per cent on cargo passing through the Strait, while prohibiting US and Israeli vessels. Ships violating the terms could face a 20 per cent violation toll.

Media additions

Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, said that while a deal was close, reopening the strait depended on other conditions, including US reparations. Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, the secretary of Iran's top national security body, listed further demands such as stopping "aggression" against Iran's proxy groups in Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, and Yemen, Yahoo News reported. It is not clear what form that would take as the US is not known to be engaged in any action against Hamas, Hezbollah or the Houthis, although it could refer to a demand that the US lean on its regional partners to cease hostility with the terror groups.

The latest demands follow a memorandum of understanding reached between the US and Iran in June, which included plans for an eventual reopening of the Strait and a proposed $300 billion reconstruction fund. However, Mr Araghchi attempted to heap further pressure on the White House by saying that Iran would not negotiate directly with the US until it addressed its "violations" of the June memorandum of understanding, noting that the regime will not forget past crimes or unjustly shed blood. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also blamed the US for causing severe difficulties in importing basic goods as food and necessity prices rose rapidly following the outbreak of the conflict in February.

Military and diplomatic pressures continue to mount across the region. A tanker affiliated with the state oil company of the United Arab Emirates was struck by a missile, and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported a vessel caught fire after being hit by an unknown projectile, though the fire was put out and there was no reported environmental impact. Meanwhile, US Central Command stated it had allowed more than 30 ships through for humanitarian aid since the blockade started, while turning away 53 ships, disabled two vessels, and boarding two others. Yemen's Houthi rebels also reported launching a drone attack on an oil refinery in the city of Jazan in south-west Saudi Arabia, which military spokesman Yahya Saree said was in response to Saudi drones breaching Yemeni airspace.

President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday that he believes the conflict is drawing to a close and that petrol prices will fall once the war concludes. US officials told the Wall Street Journal that the US president privately raised the prospect of walking away from the war without a nuclear deal, believing America can surveil future nuclear activity from afar once the Strait is open. This would mark a significant about-turn from the original justifications for going to war. At the same time, reports indicate the US has heavily depleted its arsenal since the conflict began in February, with the Pentagon pressing defense contractors to increase production rates. Steve Feinberg, the US deputy defense secretary, reportedly wrote to defense industry leaders setting a deadline of 21 days to submit plans for faster delivery schedules and increased production capabilities.

Political developments within Iran have also drawn attention, including meetings between President Pezeshkian and Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Mr Khamenei has not been seen in public since succeeding his father in March, following a strike in February that killed the former supreme leader and reportedly seriously injured the current leader. Qasem Qoraishi, the deputy of the Basij Organisation, stated that footage of Mr Khamenei in public and in meetings with armed forces commanders would be released in the future to counter speculation about his health.

What to watch next

• Pending decisions regarding whether the US will respond to Iran's nine conditions, including the renewed demands for $300 billion in financial compensation and reparations.
• Future developments concerning shipping transit through the Strait of Hormuz, potential cargo tolls, and the enforcement of vessel prohibitions against US and Israeli ships.
• Responses from defense contractors to the Pentagon's 21-day deadline for submitting plans to accelerate weapons production schedules and address depleted interceptor arsenals.