EDITORIAL: In the face of Iranian ‘demands,’ tighten the squeeze

Las Vegas Review-Journal August 11, 2026 - 9:00 pm Donald Trump’s chief negotiating strategy consists of keeping the other party guessing about what he might do next. As this pertains to Iran, the president has repeatedly threatened Tehran with additional military action only to back off once new “peace talks” are on the table. But it has become increasingly apparent that this approach has only emboldened Iran’s hard-liners. Over the weekend, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, issued a new list of “demands” that the United States must meet before the mullahs will open the Strait of Hormuz. Iran wants the United States to cease military operations, permanently remove troops from the region, lift economic sanctions, unfreeze Iranian assets and pr