T ump
is
willi g
to
e d
the
I a
wa
without
a
uclea
deal
but
exit
st ategy
emai s
complicated,
epo t
US
P eside t
Do ald
T ump
has
epo tedly
sig alled
to
se io
aides
that
he
is
willi g
to
e d
the
I a
wa
without
secu i g
a
uclea
deal
with
Teh a .
But
I a ‘s
ew
dema ds
fo
eope i g
the
St ait
of
Ho muz
have
complicated
the
US
p eside t’s
effo ts
to
fi d
a
exit
f om
the
co flict,
Wall
St eet
Jou al
epo ted
Su day.Fo
weeks,
T ump
had
bee
p epa i g
to
decla e
victo y
if
I a
fully
eope ed
the
st ategic
wate way,
acco di g
to
US
officials
cited
by
the
WSJ.
The
admi ist atio
had
i c easi gly
focused
o
esto i g
comme cial
t affic
th ough
the
st ait
afte
b oade
egotiatio s
ove
I a ‘s
uclea
p og amme
p oved
difficult.But
Teh a
has
ow
aised
the
p ice
fo
eope i g
the
wate way,
dema di g
billio s
of
dolla s
i
US
payme ts,
the
withd awal
of
Ame ica
fo ces
f om
the
egio
a d
a
e d
to
the
US
aval
blockade,
amo g
othe
co cessio s,
the
epo t
said.I a ia
Sup eme
Natio al
Secu ity
Cou cil
Sec eta y
Mohammad
Baghe
Zolghad
said
o
Satu day
that
Teh a
would
equi e
the
US
to
pe ma e tly
e d
the
wa ,
lift
its
aval
blockade,
withd aw
its
fo ces,
e d
sa ctio s,
elease
I a ‘s
f oze
assets
a d
pay
wa
epa atio s
befo e
the
st ait
could
be
eope ed,
acco di g
to
I a ia
state
ews
age cy
IRNA.I a
has
also
dema ded
a
e d
to
US
th eats
a d
milita y
actio
agai st
its
egio al
allies.
The
developme ts
th eate
to
a ow
T ump’s
optio s
fo
secu i g
a
exit
f om
the
co flict.
The
p eside t
has
epeatedly
th eate ed
a
majo
escalatio
of
the
US
bombi g
campaig
while
also
sig alli g
that
he
wa ts
the
wa
to
e d.“The
I a ia s
fully
believe
T ump
wa ts
out
a d
is
focused
o
ope i g
the
st ait,
which
is
why
they
a e
playi g
ha dball,”
G ego y
B ew,
a
I a
expe t
at
Eu asia
G oup,
told
the
WSJ.Mo a
Yacoubia ,
di ecto
of
the
Middle
East
p og amme
at
the
Ce te
fo
St ategic
a d
I te atio al
Studies,
said
I a ‘s
dema ds
we e
maki g
it
i c easi gly
difficult
fo
T ump
to
fi d
a
politically
acceptable
way
out
of
the
co flict.The
St ait
of
Ho muz
has
become
a
ce t al
poi t
of
leve age
fo
Teh a .
I a
closed
the
wate way
afte
the
wa
bega
i
Feb ua y,
dis upti g
comme cial
shippi g
th ough
a
oute
that
is
c itical
to
global
e e gy
supplies.T ump
has
epeatedly
claimed
i
ece t
weeks
that
the
st ait
was
ope ,
but
those
decla atio s
have
come
befo e
comme cial
t affic
was
fully
esto ed.
Domestic
p essu e
mou ts
The
issue
has
take
o
added
u ge cy
fo
T ump
with
US
gasoli e
p ices
emai i g
above
p e-wa
levels
a d
the
midte m
electio s
less
tha
th ee
mo ths
away.T ump
has
also
i c easi gly
suggested
that
a
uclea
ag eeme t
may
ot
be
ecessa y
fo
him
to
decla e
the
co flict
successfully
co cluded.O
F iday,
he
sha ed
a
social-media
post
li ki g
to
a
a ticle
decla i g
that
“Do ald
T ump
Wo
the
I a
Wa .”Vice
P eside t
JD
Va ce
simila ly
i dicated
that
Washi gto
would
co ti ue
applyi g
p essu e
o
Teh a
but
said
the
admi ist atio
could
accept
the
abse ce
of
fu the
egotiatio s
if
I a
did
ot
ag ee
to
its
dema ds.The
White
House
has
said
US
fo ces
have
achieved
thei
milita y
objectives
i
I a .
A
White
House
official
told
the
WSJ
that
T ump’s
focus
had
ow
shifted
to
e su i g
the
f ee
moveme t
of
e e gy
th ough
the
St ait
of
Ho muz,
while
milita y
optio s
would
emai
available
if
I a
attacks
additio al
vessels.
F oze
assets
complicate
discussio s
A
fu the
complicatio
is
the
questio
of
mo ey.
I a
is
seeki g
billio s
of
dolla s
i
wa
epa atio s
a d
the
u f eezi g
of
assets
held
ove seas.
T ump
has
said
the
US
would
ot
allow
Ame ica
taxpaye
mo ey
to
be
se t
to
I a ,
although
the
WSJ
epo ted
that
a
ag eeme t
could
equi e
Washi gto
to
elease
at
least
some
f oze
I a ia
assets,
pote tially
u de
co ditio s.The e
is
also
disag eeme t
ove
whethe
the
US
should
agai
allow
I a
to
sell
oil
o
i te atio al
ma kets.
Washi gto
had
p eviously
g a ted
oil-sale
waive s
as
pa t
of
a
i te im
ceasefi e
ag eeme t,
but
ei stated
sa ctio s
afte
the
ceasefi e
collapsed
followi g
I a ia
attacks
o
shippi g
i
the
st ait.T ump
has
p ivately
i dicated
that
I a ‘s
uclea
p og amme
may
o
lo ge
be
a
immediate
obstacle
to
e di g
the
wa ,
acco di g
to
US
officials
cited
by
the
WSJ.
He
believes
the
dest uctio
of
th ee
majo
I a ia
uclea
sites
has
seve ely
impai ed
Teh a ‘s
ability
to
esta t
its
p og amme
a d
that
US
i tellige ce
would
detect
attempts
to
ebuild
them
o
sec etly
develop
a
weapo .If
I a ‘s
uclea
capabilities
emai
co tai ed
a d
comme cial
t affic
th ough
Ho muz
esumes,
T ump
is
mo e
likely
to
exte d
the
cu e t
ceasefi e
i defi itely,
the
officials
said.The
admi ist atio
is
also
expected
to
lift
its
blockade
of
I a ia
po ts
if
Teh a
fully
eope s
the
st ait.
