The Trump administration wants any future negotiations with Tehran to address Iran's nuclear program while keeping the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz outside the talks, CNN reported Sunday, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
A US official told CNN that Washington's current position is to negotiate with Iran only on the nuclear issue. Tehran, meanwhile, has conveyed to regional countries that it would be willing to enter nuclear negotiations once the dispute over the strait is settled, including an end to the US blockade.
Oman has been attempting to develop a regional framework for reopening the strategic waterway. One of the main unresolved issues is whether tanker operators would be required to pay fees for passage. According to CNN, opposition from some Gulf and European officials to potential new arrangements has eased in recent months.
US officials have examined Oman's proposals but have not publicly backed the framework. American officials maintain that US forces currently hold the military advantage in the strait, although there are questions about how long Washington can maintain its current level of escort operations.
Meanwhile, Oman said Sunday that a meeting scheduled for Monday between Iran and Gulf countries to discuss possible agreements over the Strait of Hormuz has been postponed.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on social media that the meeting was delayed “in the interests of consensus." He added, “We remain committed to fostering dialogue that supports stability and lasting cooperation in our region."
The developments come amid uncertainty over the duration of the war. President Donald Trump said last Wednesday that the conflict would end immediately after the US midterm elections in November, arguing that Iran “can't hold out any longer."
Trump also accused Tehran of trying to prolong the fighting in an effort to influence the elections. “They're desperate to try and affect the election so that we could get a nice, weak group of people in there and leave them alone and let them have their nuclear weapon."
Later that day, The Wall Street Journal reported that senior White House officials had privately cautioned Trump that the war could potentially continue for years, possibly lasting through the end of his current term in January 2029.
According to the report, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior administration officials have discussed the possibility that Iran will continue resisting US military pressure and the blockade despite Trump's public expectation that the conflict will end quickly.
Trump said Thursday that he has no regrets about launching the war against Iran and would make the same decision again, saying the US had eliminated Iran's nuclear capability.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said, "I don't believe in the word regret. You can always question yourself a little bit. A few people have asked me that. If I had it to do again, I'd do exactly as I did. I took out their nuclear capability."
Trump argued that an Iranian nuclear weapon would represent a major danger to Israel, the Middle East and the United States.
"Supposing we were cruising and all of a sudden Iran has a nuclear weapon. They would use it. They're crazy. I deal with them. They're crazy. And they would use it," he said. "They would have wiped out Israel. They would have wiped out the Middle East. And they would have started hitting a couple of our cities."