U.S. President Donald Trump is “showing patience” as talks with Iran face a new obstacle, with Tehran demanding sweeping concessions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and return to nuclear negotiations, including financial reparations and the withdrawal of American forces from the region, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
U.S. administration officials told the Journal that Trump intends to wait for the current impasse to be resolved. They did not say whether he would accept Iran’s conditions, which also include sanctions relief, but said he would be prepared to lift the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports if Tehran “fully opens” the Strait of Hormuz.
The reopening of Hormuz is supposed to pave the way for renewed negotiations over an agreement restricting Iran’s nuclear program, following the memorandum of understanding reached in June. The White House said at the time that the memorandum was intended to restore freedom of navigation through Hormuz while moving toward a broader nuclear agreement.
But according to the Journal, Trump has privately raised with senior advisers another possibility: ending the U.S. campaign even without a new nuclear deal if Iran fully reopens the strait. Such an outcome would restore a crucial route for global energy supplies and could ease fuel prices for American consumers, an increasingly important political consideration for the president.
Hormuz emerges as Trump’s immediate priority
A White House official told the Journal that the United States had already achieved its military objectives against Iran. The administration has publicly maintained that its operations substantially degraded Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities, although continued Iranian attacks and the disruption of shipping through Hormuz have complicated that claim.
According to the report, Trump’s immediate focus is now the strait. The president is said to be keeping military options available if Iran continues attacking shipping, even as Washington searches for a diplomatic way to restore maritime traffic.
Iran has meanwhile presented a series of far-reaching demands, including a permanent end to the U.S. military campaign, removal of sanctions and the naval blockade, withdrawal of American forces and financial compensation. U.S. officials view several of those demands as nonstarters.
The standoff follows earlier attempts by regional mediators to craft a mechanism for reopening Hormuz. Previous proposals included new shipping lanes through Iranian and Omani waters, while Washington has opposed Iranian efforts to impose fees or exercise control over international traffic through the strategic waterway.
Could Trump walk away from a nuclear deal?
The Journal reported that Trump has told senior advisers in recent weeks that he believes Tehran will be unable to rebuild its nuclear program, at least during the remainder of his presidency, because of the extensive damage inflicted on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Trump reportedly believes U.S. intelligence capabilities would detect attempts by Tehran either to restore activity at damaged sites or secretly develop a nuclear weapon, while the threat of renewed American military action could provide sufficient deterrence.
Strait of Hormuz
(Photo: REUTERS/Stringer)
That calculation could allow the president to accept a longer-term ceasefire without securing a comprehensive new nuclear agreement, provided Washington can prevent Iran from rebuilding its nuclear capabilities and restore normal shipping through Hormuz.
The administration has continued publicly to insist that Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. Trump has also maintained that U.S. forces remain prepared to strike again if Tehran fails to reach an acceptable arrangement.
Iran reports meeting between Khamenei and Pezeshkian
Meanwhile, Iranian media reported Sunday that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei met President Masoud Pezeshkian in connection with the beginning of the third year of Pezeshkian’s presidency.
Iranian reports did not specify exactly when or where the meeting took place. The anniversary of the beginning of Pezeshkian’s third year in office fell in late July.
Khamenei has maintained an exceptionally low public profile since succeeding his father as supreme leader earlier this year. Pezeshkian has previously said communication with him has been difficult, while earlier official accounts described rare private meetings between the two.
According to the latest Iranian reports cited in the source material, the two discussed domestic economic pressures, military developments, management of state resources and economic relations with foreign countries.