Capitals, Sept. 28 (SANA) U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could prevail in its war with Iran “very soon,” even as indirect negotiations continue over Tehran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz and Saudi Arabia steps up diplomatic contacts in Washington.
Trump told Fox News that the United States was making progress on both the military and economic fronts. He said Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been destroyed and described its economy and military as severely weakened.
Trump said oil prices would return to prewar levels once the conflict ended and reiterated that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remained a central U.S. objective.
Despite his increasingly confident assessment of the military campaign, Trump has left the door open to diplomacy.
U.S.-Iran talks remain on track
Trump told Axios that he expected further talks with Iran this week, saying Tehran wanted an agreement but had not offered terms Washington was prepared to accept. Regional mediators have been working to narrow differences between the two sides.
Two regional sources cited by Axios said another round of indirect talks could take place as early as Monday.
The negotiations remain focused on several contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, the terms for ending the fighting and arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has sought to link reopening the strait and renewed nuclear negotiations to wider U.S. concessions. Trump rejected Tehran’s latest proposal but said negotiations could continue.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran remained open to diplomacy while also being prepared for renewed fighting.
Hormuz remains central to negotiations
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes, remains at the center of the dispute.
Trump said more than 20 million barrels of oil moved through the strait over the weekend. A U.S. defense official told Axios that 22 million barrels were exported through the waterway on Friday night.
Oil markets, meanwhile, continued to respond to developments in the conflict and uncertainty over the prospects for an agreement.
Saudi foreign minister in Washington
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Washington on Monday for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to the Saudi state news agency.
The talks are expected to cover bilateral relations and regional and international developments as tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis escalate.
The diplomatic activity comes as developments in Yemen add another layer to regional tensions, while U.S.-Iran negotiations continue.
With military operations, pressure on energy markets and diplomatic efforts unfolding simultaneously, the immediate direction of the conflict remains dependent in part on whether mediators can narrow differences over Iran’s nuclear program, an end to the fighting and the Strait of Hormuz.
R A H/ABD
