Trump Struggles to Reopen Strait of Hormuz as Iran Demands Fees He Rejects
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 4
Trump Struggles to Reopen Strait of Hormuz as Iran Demands Fees He Rejects
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 4
Summary
Trump’s clash with Tehran has sharpened around a near-term Strait of Hormuz deal, with U.S. officials saying an agreement may be close but Iran still insisting on transit fees he calls unacceptable.
That standoff followed Trump’s latest outburst that Iran was “unbelievably duplicitous,” underscoring his frustration after Tehran denied his claim that direct U.S.-Iran talks were about to begin.
Continued friction over the waterway has carried political and economic costs, feeding volatile oil prices that hit U.S. consumers and adding to pressure from war-weary voters.
Iran’s opaque leadership has confounded every U.S. president since the 1979 Islamic Revolution; the main modern exception cited is Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal, reached after 20 months of diplomacy.