Trump appears ready to accept Iran’s deal with Oman to open Strait of Hormuz as his own
Washington Examiner · RC · trust 63/100
TRUMP ON STRAIT: ‘WE’LL KNOW IN 48 HOURS’: As Iran and Oman are closing in on an agreement to share control of the Strait of Hormuz and charge ‘service fees,” President Donald Trump appears ready to embrace the arrangement in order to reopen the vital chokepoint and avoid the need for a massive U.S. military campaign.
“They had an all-day negotiation today, and it looks like things are very good,” Trump said on Fox News Tuesday night, referring to the ongoing Iranian-Omani talks, which Iran claims do not include the United States. “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.”
In the interview with Trace Gallagher , host of Fox News @ Night, Trump insisted both that the U.S. controls the strait “totally” and that it needs to reopen for talks on nuclear issues to begin.
“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,” Trump said.
Before departing California following a political event, Trump told reporters traveling with him that an agreement on the strait could come as soon as today. “It could happen. Tomorrow or the next day,” he said, referring to Wednesday and Thursday. “We’ll find out. We’ll know in 48 hours.”
“We’re moving along very nicely,” he said. “A lot of progress has been made.”
CEDING CONTROL OF THE STRAIT? Reports indicate the emerging arrangement between Iran and Oman follow what was first reported by the New York Times yesterday, and now confirmed by several other news organizations.
It would direct ships entering the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled northern channel, while ships leaving the Gulf would transit a southern route administered by Oman. The Associated Press quoted two regional officials as saying “service fees would be charged for providing security and preserving the maritime environment,” while Axios reported the initial arrangement would last for 60 days, during which time “no tolls or fees would be charged.”
The 60-day temporary arrangement could be extended, according to the report.
‘WE’RE HAVING VERY GOOD DISCUSSIONS’ : Even as Trump can’t or won’t provide any details about who from the U.S. is talking to Iran, and where or in what format the talks are supposedly taking place, Trump continues to advance the narrative that productive negotiations are underway, it’s just that Iran won’t admit it.
“We’re having very good discussions,” Trump told Fox. “They don’t like to admit that …it’s a little bit disconcerting.”
“You tell people like you, ‘We’re having wonderful discussions,’ and then some guy will come out of Iran and say, ‘We have not met. We have not.’ [They] just lie all day long, you understand. It’s just incredible,” Trump said. “They’ll say, ‘We didn’t talk about nuclear.’ Well, what did we talk about? We’re sitting there twiddling our thumbs, right?”
“But it doesn’t matter. That’s talk. The only thing that matters is action,” Trump said. “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.”
“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.
Good Wednesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense , written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre ( @jamiejmcintyre ) and edited by Keely Bastow . Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com .
HAPPENING TODAY: Taiwan is conducting annual military exercises designed to test its ability to defend the island against a Chinese invasion.
The 10-day Han Kuang exercises include live-fire exercises and rehearsal of strategies to counter China’s so-called “gray-zone tactics,” which stop just short of open warfare.
Taiwan is waiting for final approval of a $14 billion arms deal that has been held for months. During his Trip to China in May, Trump called arms sales to Taiwan a “good negotiating chip” and declined to approve more weapons for Taiwan at this time.
UKRAINE DEFENSELESS AGAINST RUSSIAN MISSILES : Ukraine suffered through another night under barrage from Russian missiles, which is becoming a nightly ritual.
Ukraine is out of Patriot missiles and other air defenses capable of shooting down ballistic missiles, and as he has done daily, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to European nations to give their stocks to Ukraine.
“It is very important that our partners understand that delays in supplying them, or an unwillingness to provide anti-ballistic systems, lead directly to such horrific casualties and destruction,” he said.
Zelensky called the overnight attack “a heavy strike” on Kyiv and the Kyiv region that included two dozen ballistic missiles and killed 17 people and wounded 44 others.
“The main targets of the attack were warehouse facilities belonging to civilian businesses. There were also strikes on infrastructure and a railway station. These facilities had nothing to do with the war – a brewing company, construction materials warehouses, and civilian logistics facilities,” he posted on X .
Meanwhile Zelensky is touting the effectiveness of Ukraine’s drone forces in inflicting heavy casualties on Russian ground forces.
“Overall, in July, all our units on the front eliminated 30,272 Russians – specifically using drones. This figure includes both killed and badly wounded. And this figure includes only cases for which there is clear video evidence,” Zelensky said in a video address . “So the trend on the front remains unchanged. Every month, the Russians lose about 30,000 troops. Our army and all units of Ukraine’s Defense and Security Forces will have even more drones.”
UKRAINIAN DRONES SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED MORE THAN 30,000 FRONT-LINE RUSSIAN TROOPS IN JULY: ZELENSKY
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