Iran's Diplomacy
Iran Secures Diplomatic Victory, Silencing Hardline Opposition and Cementing Hormuz Control
Iran has secured what many in Tehran are calling a decisive diplomatic win. The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed on June 17 by President Masoud Pezeshkian and Donald Trump, ended a 110-day war and left Iran with de facto control over the Strait of Hormuz — the chokepoint through which 20% of the world's oil supply flows. El Periódico reports that ultra-conservative factions that had loudly rejected any deal with Washington have now gone silent.
The 14-point agreement, brokered in Islamabad with Pakistani mediation, gives Iran a 60-day ceasefire window. During that window, the Strait remains toll-free. After that, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has signaled Tehran intends to charge transit fees — a move that would test the nerve of the US and Gulf states alike, according to Diario de Mallorca.
How Iran Silenced Its Own Hardliners
For months, Iran's ultra-conservative "Stability Front" blocked any talk of a deal. They called negotiations a betrayal of the resistance. But the Islamabad MoU changed the math. By keeping control of the Strait of Hormuz, the regime could frame the agreement not as a surrender — but as proof that Iran forced America to the table on Iranian terms, according to La Opinión de Murcia.
The hardline daily *Kayhan* initially called the deal a "betrayal of resistance." But the broader conservative establishment moved quickly to suppress that view, according to Levante EMV. Now the dominant narrative inside Iran is that the country "slapped" the enemy and walked away with its sovereignty intact. Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader, has offered what analysts describe as a cautious, quiet endorsement of the deal.
The War That Led to the Deal: 110 Days of Conflict
The crisis began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes dubbed "Operation Epic Fury." The strikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and wiped out much of Iran's air force and naval infrastructure. Iran retaliated by blockading the Strait of Hormuz, cutting global crude exports from 16 million to roughly 4 million barrels per day, strangling the world economy for months, according to La Opinión de Málaga.
By June 12, negotiators in Islamabad had agreed on a final text. Trump signed at the Palace of Versailles. Pezeshkian signed in Tehran. Within 24 hours, CENTCOM confirmed that the naval blockade was being lifted and limited tanker traffic began moving through the Strait again. The economic damage was already enormous — Diario de Mallorca notes that in Spain alone, 3 million medical procedures had been cancelled due to the war's economic ripple effects.
Key Players Who Made — and Could Break — the Deal
Ghalibaf, Iran's Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator, is the central figure holding the domestic coalition together. He warned that Iran will deliver a "crushing response" if the US breaks the agreement, according to Información. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi handled the public diplomacy — far-right voices inside Iran mocked him for his "reassuring smiles," but the deal got done.
On the US side, Trump framed the deal as a win, arguing Iran is negotiating "from weakness" after its military was "diminished." But critics in Washington say the agreement is "more generous to Tehran" than any previous deal — especially on the Strait. Meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu has refused to pull back from southern Lebanon, threatening the fragile peace before the ink is dry, according to El Correo Web.
60 Days to a Final Deal — or Back to War
The Islamabad MoU is not a permanent peace. It is a 60-day ceasefire. If the two sides cannot agree on Iran's nuclear capabilities and sanctions relief by August 2026, hostilities could resume. Planned follow-up talks in Switzerland were already postponed on June 19 due to Israeli military operations in Lebanon, according to El Periódico de Aragón.
Analysts warn this "unity" inside Tehran may not last. The pragmatic wing led by Ghalibaf has bought time — but hardliners will move fast if they see the US fail to restrain Israel. Iran is also using the 60-day grace period to resume oil exports and stabilize the post-Khamenei government's finances. The deal buys Iran breathing room. Whether it buys lasting peace is a different question, according to LNE.
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