Trump weighs ending Iran war if Hormuz reopens, even without nuclear deal

President Donald Trump has considered declaring victory and ending the war with Iran if the Strait of Hormuz is fully reopened, even without a nuclear deal, marking a shift in Washington's endgame toward restoring shipping and easing pressure from higher U.S. fuel prices and depleted weapons stockpiles. The Wall Street Journal, citing multiple U.S. officials, said Trump recently signaled to aides he could withdraw without a nuclear agreement because he believes Iran would struggle to rebuild its nuclear program during his term after Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan were destroyed last year. New remarks from Iran's Foreign Ministry show talks with Oman are moving forward but also underscore the remaining obstacles. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran and Oman have reached a basic agreement on new shipping lanes and are discussing technical issues for a joint statement, while Tehran has not changed its plan to charge ships transiting the strait for safe-passage monitoring and other maritime services. Iranian media reported Iran is seeking fees of 5% to 7% of cargo value, while Oman is asking for about 3%, and Baghaei said resolving what he described as military aggression and a maritime blockade by the U.S. and Israel remains a prerequisite for reopening the strait. He also said there are no direct talks with the U.S. and that foreign negotiations are being conducted under the supervision of the Supreme National Security Council.