Trump on Iran diplomacy: 'It's like a chess game'

U.S. President Donald Trump projected an air of deliberate calm in response to Iran's latest demands concerning the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. "We're not paying much attention to it," Trump told the news portal Axios, adding, "We're only negotiating with them half-heartedly." He pointed to Iran's economic struggles, including high inflation, and characterized the diplomatic back-and-forth as a "chess game" that "will get sorted. It always gets sorted."

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We're not paying much attention to it. We're only negotiating with them half-heartedly.

According to Axios, U.S. officials indicated that Trump is currently prioritizing de-escalation. This approach follows his decision last week to cancel what he described as the most intense wave of attacks on Iran to date. Meanwhile, Iran on Saturday tempered expectations for a swift reopening of the crucial maritime route for shipping. Tehran has stipulated significant preconditions for allowing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage for international oil and gas trade.

Iran's National Security Council has outlined numerous conditions for the waterway's reopening. These include the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade, the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region, the unconditional lifting of all sanctions against Iran, and the unfreezing of all Iranian assets held abroad. Despite previous statements from both Iran and the U.S. suggesting an imminent agreement on resuming free passage through the Strait, the situation remains complex, with several reversals occurring since the conflict began.

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It will get sorted. It always gets sorted. It's like a chess game.

Iran is reportedly negotiating directly with Oman, another littoral state bordering the Strait, regarding the regulation of ship passages. Both nations had previously indicated that an agreement was close. While Trump has previously stated his administration was involved in these negotiations, Iran has denied this. Israeli Iran expert Danny Citrinowicz commented on the Axios report, acknowledging Iran's poor economic state but deeming it unlikely that economic pressure alone would force the country to capitulate at the negotiating table or abandon its strategic interests, such as control over the Strait of Hormuz. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that the threat level in the Strait remains serious due to attacks by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps on merchant vessels.

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