IRAN PERSPECTIVE

Tehran, May 30, 2026. For Iranian media close to power, the announcement of a 60-day extension of the ceasefire from April 8 is not worth celebrating. A high-ranking Iranian official, cited by Al Araby Al Jadeed and picked up by Mehr News, put it bluntly: Trump's statements on the state of negotiations 'reflect his personal wishes and not agreed terms.' Tehran confirms that the memorandum of understanding has not yet received formal Iranian approval, and that 'differences remain on several issues.'

On nuclear issues, the same official was explicit: no discussion on nuclear details has taken place, and Trump's statements on the removal of enriched uranium from Iran 'reflect nothing discussed or agreed upon at the negotiating table.' The Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, also confirmed that indirect negotiations with Washington are exclusively focused on halting aggression on all fronts - the nuclear issue and management of the Strait of Hormuz being explicitly excluded from the scope.

It is precisely on Hormuz that Tehran intends to assert a lasting balance of power. The Iranian Parliament is set to vote on permanent legislation governing the strait's management, according to Parliament Bureau President Alireza Salimi. He was categorical: 'When Trump and others say the Strait of Hormuz must be open, this question concerns us, and we will not let them decide.' The decisions taken 'are not tactical or temporary, but definitive and permanent.'

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf summarized Iran's negotiating doctrine in a post on X: 'We extract concessions not through dialogue, but through missiles. In negotiations, we simply make them understand.' He added that no action will be taken before the opposing side acts first.

Meanwhile, Tehran has denounced multiple US violations of the ceasefire: airstrikes on the Bandar Abbas region, maintenance of a naval blockade deemed illegal by Iran, and attacks on commercial navigation in the Persian Gulf. Baghaei invoked Article 51 of the UN Charter to justify Iran's right to defend its territorial sovereignty.

An additional element has fueled Iranian mistrust: according to the Wall Street Journal, the United Arab Emirates allegedly conducted airstrikes against Iranian strategic targets - including the Lavan refinery and the Assaluyeh petrochemical complex - in coordination with Washington and Tel Aviv, contradicting previous public assurances from Gulf states. These revelations have highlighted fractures within the Gulf Cooperation Council, with Saudi Arabia privately warning Washington of the risks posed by Emirati operations.

President Masoud Pezeshkian has reaffirmed, in a phone call with the Qatari emir, that 'Iran has consistently proven its honesty and commitment to dialogue' and that 'the time has come for the other side to demonstrate its will.'