President Donald Trump is reportedly considering bringing the conflict with Iran to a close without securing a new nuclear agreement, instead declaring success if Iran fully reopens the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear capabilities remain effectively contained.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Trump has privately told senior advisers that he may be prepared to abandon negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program if Iran restores unrestricted shipping through the vital waterway.

The report says the administration has increasingly centered its efforts on reopening the Strait of Hormuz after broader diplomatic talks with Iran stalled. Tehran, however, has demanded sweeping concessions in exchange for restoring maritime traffic, including billions of dollars in payments, an end to the U.S. naval blockade, the withdrawal of American forces from the region, and other significant measures.

Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the Islamic Republic is also demanding an end to the war, the lifting of sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets, compensation for wartime damages, and an end to U.S. military operations against Iranian-backed militias before permitting normal shipping through the strait, according to Iranian state media.

Those conditions have complicated the Trump administration’s efforts to conclude the conflict while portraying the outcome as a strategic victory, the report said.

Throughout the conflict, Trump has repeatedly expressed optimism that a nuclear agreement was within reach while simultaneously warning that the United States was prepared to dramatically escalate military action if necessary. More recently, however, he has suggested that America has already achieved its principal objectives, even without a formal nuclear accord.

Vice President JD Vance said the administration will continue pressing Iran to fundamentally change its relationship with the United States, adding that Washington will maintain pressure if Tehran refuses to alter its course.

A White House official told the newspaper that the United States has already accomplished its military goals against Iran and that the administration’s immediate priority is ensuring the uninterrupted flow of global energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. The official added that military options remain available if Iran resumes attacks on commercial shipping.

On the nuclear front, U.S. officials said Trump has told senior aides that Iran may be incapable of rebuilding its nuclear program during his presidency following the destruction of its three principal nuclear facilities. The president has also reportedly expressed confidence that American intelligence agencies would quickly detect any attempt by Tehran to reconstruct those sites or secretly pursue a nuclear weapon.

According to the report, if Iran’s nuclear threat remains contained and the Strait of Hormuz is completely reopened, Trump could allow the current ceasefire to remain in place indefinitely. Under such an arrangement, the United States could also end its military blockade of Iranian ports.

Financial disputes continue to stand in the way of any broader agreement. Iran is demanding compensation for war-related damages and access to frozen assets held overseas, while Trump has made clear that U.S. taxpayers will not finance payments to Tehran. The two sides also remain divided over whether Iran should once again be permitted to export oil under sanctions waivers.

Trump’s recent public remarks have increasingly suggested he is looking for a path to end the conflict. He recently described the Strait of Hormuz as “sort of open right now,” while acknowledging that Iran still possesses the capability to threaten commercial vessels with missiles, drones, and naval mines.

The president has also minimized concerns over Iran’s deeply buried uranium stockpile, arguing that the material is effectively inaccessible because it remains so far underground.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the administration’s ability to bring the conflict to a close now appears closely tied to whether Tehran ultimately agrees to restore normal maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

{Matzav.com}