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Trump on Iran diplomacy: “It’s like a game of chess”
Updated August 10, 2026 – 5:10 amReading time: 4 minutes
US President Trump reacts demonstratively calmly to Iran’s new conditions for opening the Strait of Hormuz. Further military deployment appears to be off the table for now.
Although the Iran new conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz is the US President Donald Trump demonstratively calm. “We don’t give it much attention,” he told the news portal Axios. “We’re only negotiating half-heartedly with them.” He referred to Iran’s economic problems and an enormous one inflation – and added with a view to the back and forth in the diplomatic efforts: “It will be sorted out. It always sorts itself out. It’s like a game of chess.”
“Axios” also quoted US officials as saying that Trump was initially focusing on de-escalation. Last week he called off what he said was the most violent wave of attacks on Iran to date.
On Saturday, Iran dampened hopes of a quick reopening of the strait to shipping traffic. The leadership in Tehran demanded that USA considerable advance work before opening the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for international oil and gas trade. The National Security Council made the move subject to numerous conditions – including the lifting of the US naval blockade, the withdrawal of US forces from the region, the complete lifting of all sanctions against Iran and an unconditional release of all frozen Iranian assets.
Expert: Economic pressure alone is unlikely to be enough
Both Iran and the USA had recently spoken of a foreseeable agreement to resume free shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. However, there have been a number of U-turns since the beginning of the war and the situation is extremely complex.
Iran says it is negotiating directly with Oman, the other riparian state on the opposite side of the strait, about how shipping passages through the blocked Strait of Hormuz should be regulated. Both states had declared that an agreement was near. US President Trump has said in the past that his government was involved in the negotiations, which Iran denied.
The Israeli Iran expert Danny Citrinowicz explained on However, it is unlikely that economic pressure alone will force the country to capitulate at the negotiating table or to abandon key strategic interests such as its stated claim to control the Strait of Hormuz.
