Middle East Crisis Iran War

Trump: We are half-negotiating a little “low key” with Iran

The US is taking a low-key, wait-and-see approach to Iran – “we are low keying it”. That is Donald Trump’s latest bid in a phone interview with Axios.

– We are only half-negotiating with them. We are only looking at Iran with its enormous inflation and the fact that they have no money.

The fact that oil prices have fallen means that American consumers now feel the war less, according to the president.

– It always works out. It’s like playing chess.

Yesterday, Iran came up with a new, long list of demands on the US to open the Strait of Hormuz, which includes billions in war reparations.

According to sources to the Wall Street Journal, Trump had been preparing in the weeks before to end the war as long as the Strait of Hormuz was opened, even without an agreement on Iran’s nuclear weapons technology.

Sources: Trump was ready to back down without nuclear deal

For weeks, Donald Trump had been preparing to declare victory and end the Iran war if the Strait of Hormuz was opened, even without a nuclear deal, sources told the Wall Street Journal.

That option disappeared yesterday when Iran came up with its longest list of demands yet to open the strait. In addition to a halt to the attacks, they are demanding that the US lift its blockade, pay huge war reparations, stop “threatening and insulting” Iran and refrain from all military operations against Iran’s allies in the region.

Now Trump seems to be completely unable to withdraw from the war with dignity, according to experts WSJ spoke to.

– Iran is completely set on Trump wanting a way out and that his focus is on opening the strait. That’s why they are rock-solid, says Mona Yacoubian, Middle East director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.