In a rare and significant intervention, more than 60 members of Iran’s Assembly of Experts have issued a powerful 10-point statement, bypassing official channels to warn negotiators against making concessions to the United States and Israel.
The call to action comes despite a fragile memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Washington and Tehran, which was meant to serve as a pathway to ending the devastating Middle East war that erupted on February 28.
The statement from the body comprised of Iran’s most senior clerics reflects deep-seated frustration and a lack of trust in the ongoing diplomatic process.
The clerics argue that recent military actions—specifically Israel’s continued operations in Lebanon and US strikes in the Strait of Hormuz—have fundamentally violated the spirit of the ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States.
On that basis, they described reopening the Strait of Hormuz as “a strategic mistake,” arguing that doing so would make “the enemy even bolder.”
This breach of trust is further underscored by the perception of duplicity within the US administration. Even as Vice President JD Vance was involved in negotiations, observers note that President Donald Trump made incendiary threats, a pattern that the statement’s signatories view as a clear sign of bad faith and an indication that the US cannot be relied upon to uphold its end of the bargain.
Trump publicly threatened to resume war and strike Iran “very hard” while Vance was in Switzerland holding high-level negotiations with Iranian delegates over an interim peace deal and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump’s bellicose remarks caused tension and triggered a walkout by Iranian negotiators, although Vance was able to manage the fallout.
The Core Demands of the Clerics
The 10-point statement is a direct warning to Iranian negotiators, demanding strict adherence to the “red lines” set by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. The key demands are stark and uncompromising:
- Exclusion of Nuclear Program: The signatories insist that Iran’s nuclear rights are not up for negotiation and must be kept entirely off the table.
- Control of the Strait of Hormuz: They view the continued control and closure of the strait as a strategic necessity, warning that compromising on this issue would embolden the enemy.
- Retribution and Accountability: The statement declares US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “Mahdur al-Dam” (those whose blood may be shed), calling for their killing as a religious duty and demanding accountability for alleged aggressions.
- No Weakness: Iranian officials are explicitly warned against showing any signs of weakness or incapability during diplomatic exchanges.
The statement underscores the determination of the Iranian establishment to resist what it sees as US and Israeli aggression.
Growing Concerns Over Violations
The urgency of the clerics’ message is heightened by the failure to adhere to the 14-point pact, which allowed for a 60-day window to negotiate a permanent truce. Instead, days of tit-for-tat strikes in the Strait of Hormuz and Israel’s ongoing military actions in Lebanon have put the interim peace deal under severe pressure.
The clerics demand an immediate and strong response to any further violations of the understandings. They also insist on the complete withdrawal of US forces from the region and warn against prolonged negotiations, dictating that talks must not be allowed to drag on indefinitely. They are calling for a united public front behind the Supreme Leader’s guidance.
The Rubio-Boulos Meeting Controversy
The release of the statement coincides with a diplomatic headache for US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is currently on a sensitive tour of Gulf states. Rubio’s delicate mission, aimed at reassuring key allies hit hard by the economic fallout of the war, was overshadowed by a controversy involving Tiffany Trump’s husband, Michael Boulos.
Boulos’s father is a Lebanese-born businessman with companies based in Nigeria and West Africa, so a photo shared by Rubio from a high-level meeting in Abu Dhabi with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan that revealed Boulos seated in the room strongly suggests more of the self-dealing for which the Trump family is known.
When pressed by reporters, Rubio attempted to play down the presence of Trump’s son-in-law, claiming Boulos was just there to “catch up” because his brother lives in the region.
However, critics see this as another example of the Trump administration engaging in self-dealing that creates unfair advantages for the president’s family, even amid sensitive peace talks. The incident drew swift backlash on social media, with many questioning the ethical implications of allowing a family member into such a high-stakes engagement.
Conclusion
The intervention by the Assembly of Experts signals a hardening of the Iranian position and a growing conviction in Tehran that diplomatic engagement with Washington, under its current leadership, is fraught with risk.
With the MoU already under strain from ongoing military actions and the controversy surrounding the US delegation, the path to a permanent truce appears more uncertain than ever.
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