Washington DC : US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) said that the Strait of Hormuz would be opened "very soon" as part of a deal with Iran and Oman, while warning that the Islamic Republic would be "hit really hard" if it fails to reach an agreement amid talks over an interim arrangement to ease tensions in the region.
He further reiterated his stance that Iran would not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon and linked the reopening of the strategic waterway to the ongoing diplomatic efforts. During an interview with Fox News, Trump said, "Iran, as an example, will never have a nuclear weapon. They already can't, but they'll--it's going to be formal. The strait's going to be open very soon, or they're going to get hit very hard, and then the strait's going to be open."
His remarks came as the US, Iran and Oman are reportedly close to finalising an interim agreement aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which has witnessed heightened tensions following the collapse of a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Washington and Tehran last month, Axios reported, citing two regional sources and a US official.
According to Axios, the proposed arrangement is aimed at restoring the ceasefire between the US and Iran and restarting negotiations with Tehran, including discussions related to its nuclear programme. Trump said the US had earlier been preparing for a major military operation against Iran but decided to pursue diplomacy after receiving a request from Tehran for talks.
"We were going into a tremendous attack, the biggest since World War II, and they called me and said, very politely, 'Please, can we talk? Can we talk?' They didn't want--and I said, 'Yes, we can talk. Let's get it done.' Finally, let's get it done," the US President said to Fox News.
Trump had decided on Saturday not to proceed with previously threatened large-scale military strikes against Iran after consultations with Gulf partners, allowing more time for diplomatic efforts.
However, Trump had warned that major military action could still follow if an agreement is not reached.
"If they back out again, they're going to get hit really hard. They know that. They understand that. I have no choice. They can't have a nuclear weapon. It's very simple," Trump said.As reported by Axios, the draft agreement under discussion involves a 60-day temporary arrangement between Oman and Iran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with the possibility of an extension.
Under the proposed framework, inbound shipping traffic into the Gulf would use a northern route through Iranian waters, while outbound traffic heading towards the Arabian Sea would use a southern lane through Omani waters in coordination with Iran. The report said no tolls or transit fees would be imposed during the temporary period.
The proposed arrangement also includes clearing naval mines from the median lane of the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days. Once cleared, the lane would be used for both inbound and outbound traffic under a permanent arrangement to be negotiated between Oman and Iran, Axios reported.
Trump said the US military action against Iran had already demonstrated its capabilities but added that he hoped diplomacy would succeed."They wouldn't be talking if we weren't doing what we're doing. We hit them very, very hard. But the hard hit is yet to come, and hopefully we won't have to use it. I hope we won't have to--we're having very good discussions. They don't like to admit that, but it's a little bit disconcerting," he told Fox News.
According to Axios, the White House remained involved in negotiations, with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff holding discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi.The report said regional mediators, including officials from Qatar, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, were also involved in efforts to facilitate an understanding between Washington and Tehran.
"The only thing that matters is action. And they want to make a deal. We'll see what happens. If they don't make a deal, it's going to be too bad," Trump said.Citing regional sources, Axios reported that Araghchi had agreed in principle to the proposed arrangement but required approval from Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and the Supreme National Security Council. A US official and a regional source told Axios that Iran's leadership completed the approval process on Tuesday, bringing the parties closer to a formal announcement.