U.S. media cited senior U.S. officials on the 20th saying the U.S. military has not observed Iranian military activity to close the Strait of Hormuz.

Qin Tian, deputy director of the Middle East Institute at the China Institute of International Relations, said Iran is deliberately slowing and controlling the pace of negotiations, adopting a wait‑and‑see approach: if a memorandum’s implementation yields tangible benefits for Tehran, Iran will engage actively; if implementation falls short and Iran does not receive expected gains, it will not advance further talks. Qin said Washington has not clearly benefited from prior conflict or from the current ceasefire memorandum, and with US midterm elections approaching the Trump administration’s space for large‑scale military action against Iran is increasingly constrained. As a result, the US appears to be relying chiefly on economic inducements in the memorandum — proposals such as an Iran reconstruction fund and unfreezing Iranian assets — to boost Tehran’s negotiating incentives. Qin added Israel is similarly constrained: it wants to disrupt US‑Iran negotiations but must avoid antagonizing Washington, limiting its willingness to pursue large‑scale military operations.

State news agency reported the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its armed forces are on high alert, prepared to repel any potential enemy incursions or violations of agreements and to defend Iran's national security.