The United States is optimistic that a deal to restore operations in the Strait of Hormuz can be reached “today or tomorrow,” a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday, just hours after another cargo ship was attacked in this strategically important waterway.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that “there is a chance we could have a deal” within the next few hours. This statement followed President Donald Trump‘s remarks a day earlier that the strait could reopen as soon as Tuesday.
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump combined optimistic remarks about diplomacy with stern warnings, cautioning that this was “Iran’s last chance before decapitation.” Tehran and Washington have been in conflict since February 28, when the U.S. and Israel launched surprise attacks on Iran. Despite a ceasefire and a preliminary agreement, diplomatic efforts have yet to definitively end the conflict.
Iran aims to maintain control over the strait and impose fees for the passage of ships—an authority it did not exercise before the war and which the U.S. firmly opposes.
Last week, Trump threatened to strike Iran “very hard,” potentially targeting civilian infrastructure, but on Saturday, he stated that the main parameters of a deal had already been established. On Monday, he reported that he had agreed to continue negotiations with Iran at the request of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and other countries. Meanwhile, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied that negotiations were taking place with Washington, although Trump insisted otherwise. “We are talking right now,” the U.S. president said.
Focus on the Strait of Hormuz and denuclearization
Trump said he expects to learn on Tuesday how the negotiations are progressing, “one way or another,” but emphasized that it is “not very difficult.” Diplomatic efforts are focused on restoring operations in the Strait of Hormuz, which, according to him, could happen “literally by tomorrow,” as well as on the denuclearization of Iran, which he noted “may take some time.”
A few hours earlier, the president called Tehran “hypocritical” on social media for denying the negotiations. “Regardless of whether Iran wants to admit it or not, we are actually talking about solving a problem they have been creating for decades,” he added.
Trump also mentioned the blockade of Iranian ports in response by the United States, stating: “Nothing gets into Iran if we don’t want it to, and nothing will pass unless a deal is struck or complete capitulation is achieved.”
Source: Channel NewsAsia
