Iran Proposes Opening Hormuz in Exchange for U.S. Compensation, and Calls for Discussions on Sanctions and Frozen Assets

May 23, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Baghaei stated that after weeks of talks, "the views of both Iran and the U.S. are moving toward greater alignment," and the two sides are currently in the final stages of drafting a memorandum of understanding. Separately, U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo confirmed that Iran negotiations have made some progress, adding that the U.S. could release announcements regarding Iran in the coming days. Per monitoring by PolyBeats, the probability of "the U.S. and Iran reaching a permanent peace deal" by May 31 has climbed to 20% on prediction market Polymarket, while the figure rose to 53% for an agreement by June 30.

On May 23, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said ongoing mediation talks with the U.S. are "time-consuming and grueling," noting that U.S. hostility dates back several decades. "We’ve discussed key issues and still-contentious wording, put forward proposals, and some remain under review as all parties weigh in with their views."

May 23. SpaceX recently filed for an initial public offering (IPO), with its mission statement reading: "To develop the systems and technologies needed for life to become a multiplanetary species, unlock the universe’s true nature, and spread consciousness’s light across the stars." Beyond this grand, ambitious narrative, at the end of the day, business boils down to valuing a company in concrete financial terms. After an IPO, retail investors are often the first group targeted for share sales—looking to lock in shares at a fixed price. Insiders, meanwhile, aim to hype up the post-IPO stock price through market buzz, then offload some of their holdings for a profit. Per Nasdaq disclosure data, the share of unprofitable companies going public has jumped from 20% of all annual IPOs in the 1980s to 80% today. Nearly two-thirds of firms underperform the broader market in the three years following their IPO, with most (64%) lagging by more than 10%. While some companies deliver strong long

May 23: Per a report from The Wall Street Journal, U.S. President Donald Trump convened a National Security Council meeting that day. He has not formally decided whether to launch a new military strike against Iran, but signaled he is willing to give diplomatic negotiations "more time." Multiple U.S. officials stated that after hearing a briefing on Iran-related discussions, Trump expressed his desire to extend diplomatic talks, while noting the military strike option would remain available if those negotiations fail. Per monitoring by PolyBeats, prediction market Polymarket puts the probability that the next U.S.-Iran diplomatic meeting will take place by the end of May at 16%. That figure rises to 59% for meetings held by the end of June.

May 23 — Pakistan’s Army Chief General Bajwa has left Tehran, Iran. A meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif and Bajwa has concluded, with Pakistan serving as the intermediary for the exchange of information between Iran and the United States. (Xinhua News Agency)

May 23: Changqiao Securities has further clarified recent regulatory developments related to China's cross-border securities business. The firm notes that the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and mainland Chinese regulators have recently issued new rules for cross-border securities operations, establishing unified industry standards for services catering to Chinese mainland investors. These regulations apply to all foreign financial institutions, Changqiao says. The company is actively responding to guidance from both regulators and will steadily advance its compliance work in line with the requirements. The scope of the account cleanup requirements is narrow and specific, targeting two main account types: 1) investment accounts opened with suspicious or forged documentation; 2) zero-balance, dormant investment accounts. Customer accounts opened in accordance with regulations that hold genuine assets and positions are not subject to this cleanup. Changqiao firmly supp