The diplomatic effort between the United States and Iran remains unclear as President Donald Trump warns that Iran has one last chance to make a deal. Trump has stated that indirect talks could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and eventually address Iran's nuclear program, but Tehran has only acknowledged limited discussions with Oman.
Trump said diplomacy persuaded him to call off a planned attack on Iran, which he described as the biggest since World War II. Over the weekend, he said Iran and several Middle Eastern countries had asked for more time to finalize an agreement reopening Hormuz and addressing Tehran's nuclear program.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman has denied that Tehran is holding talks with the United States or expecting an American delegation. He described the Oman discussions as a bilateral effort to establish a temporary shipping corridor through the Strait.
Trump accused Iran's leadership of being "unbelievably duplicitous," stating that they have asked for a meeting, but are openly denying any discussions. He called the talks Iran's "last chance" to avoid an escalation in U.S. strikes, saying negotiators would first seek to reopen the Strait, then turn to Tehran's nuclear program.
The negotiations have been complicated by concerns from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies, who have urged Trump to hold off on the planned attack, fearing more Iranian reprisals against their territory. Jonathan Schanzer, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said those concerns have complicated Trump's next move.
A June memorandum had promised a broader settlement between the two countries, but negotiations have stalled. Shipping became the first test of the agreement, and it quickly exposed the divide between Washington and Tehran. When U.S. officials accused Iran of firing on commercial vessels, American strikes followed, and the conflict has continued to escalate.
Brief breaks have become a feature of the conflict, which Schanzer described as a "ceasefire war." It is a war that is punctuated by short bouts of calm, only to see conflict return.
As long as Iran can still threaten traffic and Washington can maintain its blockade and prepare further strikes, each side may decide it can wait the other out rather than make the concessions needed to end the war. Fundamentally, both sides know that the status quo is a recipe for continued military and economic attrition without a clear endgame.
