Revolutionary Guards working to torpedo agreement with the US
Alongside the emerging outline, hardline media outlets in Iran are disseminating messages rejecting the agreements reached between the sides. Simultaneously, Tehran is conducting separate negotiations with Oman regarding a regional shipping arrangement that includes the collection of fees—a demand the United States rejects outright.
Diplomatic sources familiar with the contacts with Iran warn that the Revolutionary Guards are working to torpedo the emerging agreement with the United States. According to them, messages disseminated by the Guards' media outlets completely reject the agreements that have already been formulated in drafts between the sides.
One of the central points, as we published in "Ha-Yom" this week, is an Iranian concession on their demand for an interim arrangement that would grant them the authority to collect transit fees from ships and tankers in the Gulf. According to the diplomats, the exposure of this concession in the media sparked the anger of the hardline camp in Iran and is now making it difficult for the political echelon to move forward. Consequently, the Iranian Foreign Ministry denies the very existence of the talks.
At the same time, Tehran is conducting separate negotiations with Oman on a regional shipping arrangement, which includes the establishment of two entry and exit routes from the Gulf and joint supervision that would include the collection of fees at a rate of 5–10% of the value of the cargoes—money intended to rehabilitate the Iranian economy.
The United States rejects outright the integration of this arrangement into the broader agreement and demands to stick to the principles of the memorandum of understanding signed in Geneva. On the other hand, the Americans are offering more generous mechanisms for releasing frozen funds, but Iran refuses to agree to supervision over how they are spent. Due to the pressure of the Revolutionary Guards, diplomatic doubts are growing regarding the chances of the agreement's success.
All this is taking place against the backdrop of the worsening economic and energy crisis in Iran: the Tehran police report a sharp jump in thefts from buffets and supermarkets, and the situation in the periphery is even more difficult after the regime significantly cut fuel rations at stations and reduced electricity supply hours across the country.
