A new Wall Street Journal report has exposed a tough set of conditions put forward by Iran in diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing war, highlighting the increased power of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran. The report comes on the background of President Trump's recent announcement that the USA has been negotiating an end to the hostilities and Prime Minister Netanyahu's subsequent declaration that Israel would 'look after its own interests.'
According to the report, since the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei and the outbreak of the conflict, IRGC commanders have effectively seized control of key decision-making centers and adopted significantly harder-line positions.
At the heart of Iran's demands is an ambitious economic and strategic plan to create a “new regime" in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. Tehran is seeking the right to impose transit fees on every vessel crossing the strait, modeled after the toll system used in Egypt’s Suez Canal.
In addition, Iran is demanding ironclad guarantees that the war will not resume, including explicit commitments from Israel and the United States not to launch future attacks on Iranian territory. Other key conditions include an immediate end to Israeli strikes against Hezbollah and the complete lifting of all international sanctions on Iran.
Iran has also made it clear that it will not accept any restrictions on its ballistic missile program and refuses to hold any negotiations on the issue.
Neither Israel nor the United States has issued an official response to the reported demands so far. However, officials from both countries and several Arab states have privately described Iran’s positions as unrealistic and likely to push any stable political agreement far into the future.