🇮🇷🇺🇸 Gulf States are signaling flexibility on Iran deal...
Reports indicate Gulf countries are willing to live with Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz, if it leads to a broader agreement with Tehran.
They appear ready to accept limited progress on Iran’s missile capabilities and incomplete solutions for the proxy forces active throughout the region.
Trump has already indicated openness to ending hostilities without a full nuclear pact, so long as commercial shipping can move freely once again.
With 1/5 of the world’s oil and 1/4 of its LNG flowing through that narrow chokepoint, any arrangement that cements Iranian leverage there would reshape energy security and regional influence for years to come.
🇺🇸🇮🇷 Trump saw a clear path to claim victory in the Iran war by getting the Strait of Hormuz fully open.
He told aides he could even accept leaving without a nuclear agreement if commercial shipping resumed.
That exit route closed when Iran presented its steepest demands yet.
Tehran is now insisting on billions in compensation, the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces, an end to the naval blockade, and additional concessions before it will allow free traffic.
Analysts say Iran senses Trump’s urgency ahead of the midterms and is using the waterway as maximum leverage.
Gas prices remain high and previous claims that the strait was already open have repeatedly proven premature.
Washington refuses Iranian restrictions or fees and keeps the threat of force on the table, but the diplomatic room to declare a clean win has shrunk again.