Make It Count – Iran’s 10 Demands

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POLICY DEPARTMENT MAKE IT COUNT: ASSESSING IRAN’S 10 DEMANDS Ali Holcomb, National Security Fellow APRIL 10, 2026

TOPLINE: As the United States continues negotiations with Iran after a month of attacks, the United States must be unflinching in our demands. With thirteen U.S. servicemembers killed and close to 400 injured, these strikes have come at a great cost to our warfighters. It is the solemn duty of the U.S. to ensure that those sacrifices are not squandered.

Iran’s Public List of Demands Are Non-Starters

• “1. An American guarantee of nonaggression with Iran. … 4. Withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from all bases and positions in the region.” • “5. Reparations to Iran for war damages.”

o Reparations would signal that the U.S. believes its own strikes were unjustified. • “6. Acceptance of Iran’s right to nuclear enrichment.”

o This would undermine what the U.S. accomplished in Operation Midnight Hammer. • “7. Lifting all primary sanctions on Iran. … 8. Lifting all secondary sanctions on Iran.”

o Maximum Pressure has been the cornerstone of the admin’s engagement with Iran. • CAVEAT: The only publicly available version of Iran’s 10 point list of demands is that released by IRNA, Iran’s officials news agency, which might diverge from the actual list.

o Numerous Agreements, Lists, and Letters are being sent out by people that have

absolutely nothing to do with the U.S.A. / Iran Negotiation” – President Trump

U.S. Non-Negotiables for Iran America must force Iran to abide by these four demands: 1) The Strait of Hormuz shall be opened. Ships must be allowed free and safe passage

through the Strait, and Iran denied any financial incentive in this. • The U.S. will not be deterred after fighting wars in four centuries for free navigation. 2) All enriched uranium shall be handed over, with a permanent halt on further enrichment.

• In the past, Iran agreed to IAEA inspections that never occurred. 3) Iran must agree to terminate its ballistic missile program. 4) Iran must permanently end funding of its terrorist proxies who have the blood of hundreds

of Americans on their hands. Each time the U.S. and our allies degrade or eliminate one of Iran’s proxies, Iran simply shifts funding and support to others. It’s time to kill the hydra.

BOTTOMLINE: Iran’s “10 Point” plan is a non-starter, and the administration must make it clear that we will not balk on these points. Von Clausewitz famously said, “War is politics by other means.” War is not an end in itself, but a means to further political goals. The U.S. military proved over the last month that it is the most capable, professional fighting force the world has ever seen, and can perform Herculean feats. Now the administration must secure a lasting peace worthy of that sacrifice, one that makes the world safer for Americans and our allies.

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