GRANTS, N.M. – Iranian leaders are signaling they want to dictate the terms for ending the war, insisting the United States meet Iran’s conditions before any negotiations move forward, according to the latest daily updates from the Institute for the Study of War and the Critical Threats Project.
ISW-CTP reported that IRGC Baghiyatollah Sociocultural Headquarters Commander Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari said May 11 that Iran will not enter negotiations until the United States accepts Iranian terms. Those terms, as outlined in the update, include an end to the war on “all fronts,” lifting sanctions, releasing frozen Iranian assets, compensation for war-related damages, and recognition of Iran’s claimed “sovereignty” over the Strait of Hormuz. ISWCTP noted that recognizing Iranian “sovereignty” over the strait would reshape global maritime norms in ways described as extremely detrimental to U.S. interests.
On the nuclear issue, ISW-CTP reported conflicting signals. The Wall Street Journal reported May 10 that Iran offered a shorter enrichment halt than the U.S. has sought and suggested diluting or transferring highly enriched uranium, but Iranian outlet Tasnim rejected that reporting. ISW-CTP also cited Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization chief telling lawmakers May 11 that nuclear technology and enrichment are not negotiable.
In the Strait of Hormuz, the ISW-CTP update said commercially available maritime data suggests some vessels may be complying with Iran’s newer transit regulations. The update reported that 21 vessels transited the strait since the previous cutoff, with eight using an Iranian-approved route.
The report also noted indications that some vessels self-reported information about owners and crews while transiting — a tactic een previously in other shipping threat environments.
ISW-CTP also cited reporting that a tanker carrying liquefied natural gas from Qatar turned away after approaching an area Iran claims to control, and that Iranian-affiliated media claimed Iran prevented the vessel from passing.
On the military side, ISW-CTP highlighted the growing role of first-person- view (FPV) drones. The update reported Iranian military media claims that Iran has deployed 10,000 FPV drones to the Artesh Ground Forces since the June 2025 “12Day War,” and assessed that such drones could be used to defend against potential ground operations. ISW-CTP also said Iran is likely providing FPV drone technology to Hezbollah and Iranianbacked Iraqi militias, which have used FPV drones against Israeli and U.S. targets during the current conflict. Israeli reporting cited in the update described Hezbollah’s fiber-optic FPV drones as relatively low-cost and resistant to jamming, and noted an incident in which a Hezbollah drone struck an Iron Dome battery, with the IDF investigating.
In Remembrance
The following U.S. service members were identified in the material provided as having died in the line of duty as a result of recent military action in the Middle East. The Cibola County community honors their service and holds their families in our thoughts.
KC-135 crash in Iraq (6)
• Maj. John A. Klinner
• Capt. Ariana G. Savino
• Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt
• Capt. Seth R. Koval
• Capt. Curtis J.
Angst
• Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons Drone attack in Kuwait (6)
• Capt. Cody A.
Khork
• Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens
• Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor
• Sgt. Declan J.
Coady
• Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien
• Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan Attack in Saudi Arabia (1)
• Sgt. Benjamin Pennington