Trump Skeptical of Iran's Plan to Reopen Strait: Sources

President Trump is signaling no deal—for now—on Iran's offer to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, according to sources who spoke to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Multiple officials say he told advisers he's unhappy with Tehran's latest proposal, which would lift the US naval blockade and restore shipping but sidestep the core dispute over Iran's nuclear program. Trump has repeatedly vowed Iran will not be allowed nuclear weapons, and one US official suggested to the Times that accepting the plan as-is might undercut the president's desire to claim a clear win. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday also said the US can't make any deal unless it "prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point.," the AP reports.

The White House wouldn't elaborate on Trump's stance, saying only that talks are ongoing and the US won't "negotiate through the press." Inside the administration, there's a sharp split over leverage: Some argue that extending the blockade will inflict lasting damage on Iran's energy industry and force concessions; others counter that Tehran's position has only hardened and its negotiators lack authority to bend on the topic of nuclear enrichment. Iran, for its part, wants to reopen the strait while continuing to collect fees from transiting ships—something Washington has historically rejected. While Trump has threatened to resume bombing if talks fail, officials say the feeling within the administration is that the POTUS would prefer to avoid that. (Meanwhile, hundreds of vessels and thousands of seafarers are stranded, unable to transit the strait.)