Cyrus Schayegh, professor of international history and politics at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, said Iran's new proposal regarding the Strait of Hormuz indicates that diplomatic efforts between the US and Iran have made no significant progress. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Schayegh stated, "I think this is just a very small sign because basically nothing has really changed." He said that Iran "continues to emphasize its desire to retain the additional power it gained during the war and considers the June memorandum to be central to the roadmap for the future"; while the US "basically continues to refuse to accept discussions surrounding this roadmap." The proposal states that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen within seven days, after which Iranian assets may not have been returned and sanctions may not have been lifted. This suggests that Iran is willing to make small concessions, but it is unclear whether these concessions will be sufficient to meet US demands. Schayegh stated that the Gulf states are a key force in bringing the two sides closer, but they need to "consolidate their positions" on issues concerning the US and Iran. However, he concluded, "Apart from that, I don't think we will see any progress in the short term, especially before the US midterm elections."
