US and Iran Near Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump stated that an agreement to open the Strait of Hormuz is expected within 48 hours. Negotiations are ongoing, with final approval pending from the IRGC.
US President Donald Trump insisted that a deal on opening the Strait of Hormuz is expected very soon, perhaps as early as today, Wednesday. Reports indicated that he demanded the deal be completed yesterday, but there is no announcement yet, and CNN reported this afternoon that the announcement might wait until Friday. A senior official from the Gulf region told the American network that there is a "50-50" chance that the deal will be reached on Friday.
Shortly after this report, in a move that may be intended as a gesture of goodwill toward Tehran, the US Treasury Department announced the lifting of sanctions against two aircraft and three airlines linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
At the center of the contacts is a temporary agreement to open the Strait of Hormuz in a format that would effectively accept at least some of Iran's demands for control over traffic in the strait, which serves as the oil artery of the global economy. While the talks are officially held between Iran and Oman, the US is also involved. The official who spoke to CNN said that the Iranian delegation does not include the "voice" of the IRGC, the most powerful military force in Iran that effectively controls decision-making in the Ayatollah regime. According to the official, the Guard will need to give final approval to any agreement reached.
Trump himself provided a similar timeline this morning: "We will know within 48 hours. Things are moving along nicely." Previously, he stated in an interview with Fox News that "the strait will open soon, or they (Iran) will be hit hard and then it will open."
