The demands are sweeping: closure of all American military bases in the Persian Gulf; full reparations for U.S. strikes on Iranian territory; and the complete lifting of sanctions. Iran also seeks full preservation of its missile programs and guarantees that the war won’t restart, for itself and for Iran’s proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon.
But one demand stands apart from the rest.
A U.S. official called the demands ridiculous and unrealistic, and told the Journal the posturing will make reaching a deal harder than before Trump authorized the strikes that started the war.
That may be true. But the demands, of course, aren’t designed to be accepted at face value—rather, they’re designed to set a negotiating floor amidst whipsawing energy markets.
