Washington, Aug 2026 : US President Donald Trump has said that Washington is only “semi-negotiating” with Iran over the current regional tensions, indicating that he is prepared to allow economic pressure on Tehran to intensify rather than immediately ordering another military offensive, Axios reported.
“We are low keying it,” Trump told Axios during a brief phone conversation, arguing that Iran’s economy is already “in very bad shape.” His remarks suggest that the US administration is currently favouring economic and diplomatic pressure while keeping the possibility of further action open.
A key issue in the standoff is the status of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important waterways. According to the report, an agreement governing traffic through the strait was negotiated among Iran, Oman and the United States and has remained pending for several days.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that Tehran and Muscat were “very close” to reaching an agreement on the designation of a temporary maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz. The proposed arrangement is aimed at establishing a new navigation route amid continuing uncertainty over shipping through the strategic waterway.
However, Araghchi subsequently made clear that Tehran does not consider itself to be engaged in negotiations with Washington. Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Sunday, he said talks between Iran and the United States could not resume unless Washington ended what Iran describes as violations of a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding and addressed the alleged breaches.
Araghchi stressed that there were currently no direct negotiations between the two countries, although intermediaries were continuing efforts to explore ways to revive diplomatic engagement.
The conflicting statements have added to uncertainty over the future of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump had earlier warned that Iran would be “hit very hard” if the waterway was not reopened “very soon.” In a separate interview with Fox News, he said the US was having “very good discussions” with Iran, but Tehran subsequently denied that formal talks were taking place.
Trump had also previously issued a stark warning to Tehran, describing the situation as Iran’s “last chance before decapitation” and suggesting that discussions on reopening the strait could conclude within a day.
“We’re talking about the Strait, the opening of the Strait, having it open, literally by tomorrow,” Trump said at the Oval Office.
Iran, however, has repeatedly denied that negotiations with Washington are currently underway.
The contradictory positions from Washington and Tehran have left the future of the Strait of Hormuz uncertain. The waterway is a critical global energy corridor, through which a significant share of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passes. Any prolonged disruption could therefore have major consequences for global energy markets, shipping and regional security.
(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
