Morning Note

As usual, Israel got what it wanted.

This weekend’s Iran War negotiations did not yield a peace deal, instead setting the stage for fresh U.S. military operations and American blockades of Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz. JD Vance announced on Sunday that the talks came up short, saying the Iranians refused to make an “affirmative commitment” that they would not seek to join the U.S. and Israel in having a nuclear weapon.

Among the Trump administration's reported demands were for Iran to end all uranium enrichment, dismantle all major nuclear enrichment facilities, end funding for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, and fully open the Strait of Hormuz while charging no tolls for passage. Anyone closely following this war could have told you that Iran would never agree to those terms. Perhaps that was the point.

Pakistani, Egyptian, and Turkish mediators will continue talks with both countries in the coming days.

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