The US renewed its attacks on Iran on July 12, 2026. US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that this third round of strikes in a single week followed a brazen attack by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on a container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz; the US claimed to have struck 140 Iranian military targets.

Meanwhile, the IRGC announced that it had “hit two ships, closed the Strait until further notice—and until US interventions in the region cease—and shelled a US military base in Qatar.”

The US had previously launched strikes against 170 Iranian sites on July 7 and 8, 2026. US CENTCOM stated that these attacks were in retaliation for Iranian strikes on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran announced it had responded by attacking US bases and interests in Arab countries.

Despite this—and despite US President Trump’s declaration that the ceasefire was over—he stated that he remained open to continuing negotiations. On July 11, 2026, he stated, “The Islamic ​Republic of Iran has asked us ⁠to continue ‘talks.’ We have agreed to do ​so, but the United States has stated ​to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!” The US is acting like someone holding a gun to the other party’s head to force a signature!

Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Ghalibaf stated, “The Strait of Hormuz will only be opened under Iranian arrangements, not due to US threats,” whilst Iran seeks to impose customs duties or service fees on the vessels. It appears that the US wants Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz unconditionally, as no details regarding this matter were included in the Memorandum of Understanding.

It follows that negotiations over the Memorandum’s 14 points will be long and arduous, fraught with disagreements over details and implementation; the process is a minefield where an explosion could occur at any moment. This is because the US’s goal in signing the Memorandum is to turn Iran into a subordinate vassal state—an objective it failed to achieve through the forty-day war launched on February 28, 2026, which claimed the lives of 40 senior Iranian leaders, including the Supreme Leader. Consequently, the US announced a halt to hostilities on April 8, 2026, and expressed readiness to resume negotiations, culminating in the electronic signing of the Memorandum on June 18, 2026, by Presidents Trump and Pezeshkian.

Iran’s signing of the Memorandum and its participation in negotiations aimed at a final agreement—bringing it back into the US orbit after a four-month rift—represents a significant concession, especially given that it had held firm throughout that period without yielding any gains to the US.

However, it is evident that the US will not be satisfied with this alone, as its ultimate goal remains subjugating Iran. It will likely exert pressure through military strikes, the reimposition of sanctions, stalling the release of frozen assets, and employing evasive tactics regarding the implementation of the Memorandum's terms. Yet, it is unlikely to abandon the Memorandum—which represents a major achievement—or the negotiations themselves. Thus, behind every act of aggression, the US signals a desire to resume talks and mobilizes intermediaries, its agents, to that end; notably, Qatar dispatched a delegation to Iran on June 10, 2026. Pakistan took action; its Foreign Minister contacted his Iranian counterpart, urging Iran to “de-escalate and exercise restraint”—meaning it should not retaliate against US attacks or interfere with ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz. He emphasized that “dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable path to resolving disputes and achieving lasting peace and stability in the region.” Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Minister visited the Sultanate of Oman and wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on July 11, 2026, “Iran has kept its word so far, unlike the so-called US Treasury Secretary, who is violating Paragraph 9 of the Memorandum of Understanding”—which stipulates that the US must refrain from imposing new sanctions on Iran—after new sanctions were imposed on 14 individuals and one entity.

On July 11, 2026, The Wall Street Journal revealed that Iran had informed the US that the firing on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz was a mistake, and called on the US to continue negotiations. It appears that Iranian politicians are conveying one message to the US—driven by their goal to continue negotiations and align with the US—while the military commanders of the Revolutionary Guard are conveying a different message; the latter deliberately strike ships to derail this process as they strive for independence from the US. Indeed, following this revelation, the Revolutionary Guard struck two more ships.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, announced his agreement with the politicians regarding the Memorandum of Understanding and the continuation of negotiations. However, the Revolutionary Guard remained silent only reluctantly; they oppose this course of action and seek independence. It is as if the Supreme Leader is striking a balance between the two sides; hence, in a written message published on July 11, 2026, he stated, “We pledge to avenge your pure blood and the blood of all the martyrs of these two wars against the criminal and disgraced killers,” claiming that “soon individuals among the freedom-seekers across the world will each carry out part of this divine mission.” This statement came amidst the funeral and burial proceedings for the Supreme Leader in the city of Mashhad. His father—the previous Supreme Leader—had made similar remarks when the US killed Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and other Iranian leaders in 2020.

This message does not signal an intention to reject the Memorandum of Understanding or abandon negotiations. Instead, it serves to vent anger, demand revenge, reassure the domestic audience, and reaffirm the regime’s unwavering principles.

Trump responded on July 11, 2026, stating, “1000 Missiles are Locked and ⁠Loaded and aimed at the ​Islamic Republic of Iran, with ​thousands of more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its ​threat, pronounced in many corners ​of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt ‌to ⁠assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME! Orders have already been given, and the U.S. ​Military is ready, willing, ​and ⁠able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, ⁠to ​completely decimate and destroy ​all areas of Iran.” He dismissed the Iranian threats as nothing new and noted that the Jewish entity had not provided any new information—comments made following reports of intelligence shared by the Jewish entity with the US. It is worth noting that Trump had previously threatened Iran in April 2026 if an agreement was not reached, stating “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to ​be brought back ​again.  I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?”

The current political situation indicates a desire on the part of both Iran and the United States to maintain the Memorandum of Understanding and continue negotiations until a final agreement is reached—even as the U.S. persists in exerting maximum pressure to achieve that outcome. Conversely, the Revolutionary Guard attempts to obstruct the process, acting as if it holds the ultimate decision-making power by firing on ships and closing the strait.