U.S. President Donald Trump said he is “low keying it” in his approach to Iran, suggesting he thinks he could wait Tehran out economically.
The statements are a new blow to hopes for any deal with the United States, as Iran said Hormuz would stay closed even if Tehran reaches a deal with Oman. “We are low-keying it,” Trump said in an interview.
“We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money. It will work out. It’s like a chess game,” the U.S. president added.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards insisted Sunday that they would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States complied with a list of demands, including paying compensation for war damage. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council laid out on Saturday a list of conditions for reopening the strait, including an end to the war on all fronts, the lifting of a U.S. counterblockade of Iranian ports, the end of sanctions, the release of frozen assets, and compensation for wartime damage.
The comments may indicate a shift to a strategy centered on economic pressure and patience rather than immediate escalation. However, Tehran’s refusal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without major U.S. concessions suggests that Iran is seeking to turn economic pain into geopolitical leverage. The ongoing standoff will test whether Trump’s pressure campaign can force Iranian concessions or instead prolong and deepen an ongoing global energy crisis with serious regional security implications.
