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World
Washington's latest plan to halt conflict with Iran demands swift Iranian response on enriched uranium location and maritime navigation rules in the Strait of Hormuz.
American diplomatic sources have revealed details of an executive annex included in the latest U.S. proposal aimed at ending hostilities with Iran and restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has yet to provide a final response to this proposal.
This annex requires Iran to promptly and specifically disclose the location of its highly enriched uranium, freeze its transfer, and place it under verifiable technical seals. It also introduces maritime regulations to govern ship passage through designated routes, mandates fixed navigation notifications, and prohibits the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from converting transit into permits or conducting selective inspections.
The recent U.S. amendment shifts the focus toward implementation mechanisms. Washington insists that any forthcoming process must begin with Iran’s clear acknowledgment of the location of its highly enriched uranium stockpile, confirm the suspension of its movement between sites, and secure it under technical seals that can be verified before any broad economic relief or stable reopening of transit through Hormuz.
Despite falling oil prices and Tehran’s review of the proposal, market sensitivity regarding the strait remains high. Shipping restrictions continue to exert pressure on supply lines, giving the Hormuz clause in the U.S. text a direct significance beyond a mere declaration of reopening, emphasizing the regulation of transit mechanisms themselves.
The annex’s Hormuz provision is crafted with operational specifics, including designated transit corridors, fixed navigation alerts, prohibition of any selective inspections outside maritime standards, and prevention of Iranian authorities from imposing transit permits. A third-party maritime verification channel monitors compliance and blocks the IRGC from suspending passage rights.
Threats from IRGC-affiliated platforms near Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb have provided the Trump administration with justification to broaden the definition of violations within the proposal. Iranian rhetoric has turned navigation into a direct disruption tool, necessitating an executive constraint from the outset.
The U.S. amendment also seeks to widen the scope of military breaches to encompass attacks carried out by entities linked or subordinate to the IRGC in the region against U.S. forces, commercial vessels, navigation facilities, or allied bases. Any such violation would trigger an automatic freeze of the economic relief planned for the initial phase.
Washington views Tehran’s attempt to include Lebanon, Yemen, and Bab al-Mandeb in its recent discourse as a negotiating tactic aimed at expanding the arena and avoiding a direct response to the proposed memorandum of understanding’s amendments.
Consequently, the Trump administration demands an Iranian reply to an executive annex that does not permit the regime to seek financial and oil-related concessions before securing initial procedural commitments.
Regional sources tracking Israeli assessments indicate that Tel Aviv’s concern centers on any arrangement allowing the postponement of decisions regarding the fate of highly enriched uranium to a later stage. Israel is closely monitoring the U.S. amendment’s provisions on technical seals, verification mechanisms, and treatment timelines, as any agreement that does not start with the uranium stockpile could enable Tehran to promote a ceasefire domestically and then resume delaying tactics.
American sources note that the Trump administration considers excluding the uranium stockpile from the first phase as turning the agreement into a fragile truce, whereas securing the material under technical seals from the start signals Iran’s capability to comply with its commitments.
Any economic relief granted in the initial phase remains contingent on verifiable progress. Washington seeks an automatic reinstatement mechanism for restrictions should Iran obstruct inspection teams, maintain ambiguity about the stockpile’s location, or allow any IRGC-affiliated faction to threaten navigation, U.S. forces, or allied bases.
Recent developments suggest Washington maintains negotiation momentum by continuing talks and increasing verification demands. President Trump stated that the process has not halted and that an agreement could materialize within a week. Meanwhile, Iranian narratives attempt to portray themselves as capable of suspending communications and threatening straits without incurring negotiation costs.
Ultimately, the prevailing war rhetoric within Iran provides Washington with further justification to tighten guarantees. Every threat originating from military circles or IRGC-linked platforms is interpreted in U.S. assessments as evidence of the necessity for an enforcement mechanism starting from nuclear stockpiles, extending through Hormuz, and encompassing a clear definition of military violations.
