Announcements from Iranian officials over the weekend quashed optimism that the U.S. and Iran are near a deal to end President Donald Trump’s war. The Iranian move to emphasize a broad set of demands suggested a need for more sophisticated diplomacy and bolstered fears that a compromise may be out of the Trump administration’s reach.
Optimistic Washington officials had pointed to talks between Iran and Oman, an Arab state aligned with the U.S. The two nations border the lynchpin of the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway along Iran’s southern border, where Iranian forces have disrupted traffic since Trump’s assault began, treating Hormuz as a strategic asset.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Vice President JD Vance have said the administration is now focused on increasing the flow of oil and gas through the strait to combat global price increases, not on the the broad goals Trump specified in initiating the conflict. The talks between Oman and Iran aim to cement a new understanding for ships to safely traverse the strait.