Regional officials, diplomats, and analysts say the US-Iran war highlighted Iran's influence over the Strait of Hormuz and enabled it to demand that any agreement on its nuclear program must first acknowledge Iran's de facto control over this vital oil chokepoint. Alex Vatanka of the Middle East Institute stated that while charging ships using the Strait of Hormuz could generate substantial revenue, Tehran views it as a source of political legitimacy, not an economic asset. Vatanka added, quoting a Persian proverb, "Why give up a diamond for a lollipop?" Similar sentiments have been expressed by the Iranian leadership. "The Strait of Hormuz is our most powerful weapon," said Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf, adding that Iran "will not relinquish its rights there under any circumstances." Regional sources and diplomats suggest that Iran is deliberately slowing down negotiations to secure what it perceives as its wartime interests before returning to the nuclear issue. Alan Eyre, a former US diplomat and expert on Iran, stated that for Tehran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, uranium can wait, but consolidating its position in the Strait of Hormuz is of paramount importance. “The Iranians know President Trump wants to back down; he wants to shift his focus elsewhere,” Al said. “They know they can put pressure on him because time is on their side.” Former U.S. Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller stated, “The 60-day negotiation period was never a dream.” “Iran won’t take any action on the nuclear issue until they are certain they have established this new status quo. They want to make sure Trump—and the world—understands that things can never go back to what they were before February 27th.”
