While the U.S. awaits Iran's response to its peace proposal, President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he "expects to hear very soon" from the Iranians, according to French news agency TF1 Info, UNN reports citing ABC News.
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In an interview, Trump also told the outlet that "they still very much want to make a deal."
As Bloomberg notes, the U.S. has been waiting for Iran's response to its latest proposal to end the war, suggesting a response could come soon following clashes in the Strait of Hormuz that broke a month-long ceasefire.
Iran has yet to give any indication of whether it will accept U.S. President Donald Trump's plan, sent on Wednesday, which proposes that the Islamic Republic reopen the waterway and the U.S. end its blockade of Iranian ports within the next month, the publication writes.
Tehran's response is "under consideration," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told the semi-official Tasnim news agency, without providing a timeframe.
The proposal, which is only one page long, suggests that Iran's acceptance of the deal would end a 10-week war that has claimed thousands of lives in the Middle East and led to a sharp rise in energy prices, although both sides still have to reach an agreement regarding the Iranian nuclear program.
The new move reflects a shift in Trump's approach to ending the war—opening the strait has become a higher priority than complex negotiations over the Iranian nuclear program. The strait has become a much more pressing issue than the Islamic Republic's enriched uranium, the publication points out.
Oil prices rose slightly as investors assessed whether renewed clashes would undermine the fragile ceasefire. Global benchmark Brent crude closed Friday at around $101 a barrel, but still posted a weekly decline of about 6%.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with the Prime Minister of Qatar on Friday to discuss bilateral relations and the situation in Iran, as well as regional security and stability, according to a statement from the Qatari media office about the meeting. According to a source familiar with the situation, they also discussed liquefied natural gas markets. Qatar acts as a regional mediator between the U.S. and Iran.
US and Iran may resume negotiations next week in Islamabad - WSJ5/9/26, 6:50 PM
Trump faces strong domestic and international pressure to end the war, as Americans increasingly oppose it and are frustrated by the sharp rise in fuel prices. China is among the nations intensifying calls for the immediate opening of the strait and an end to hostilities ahead of a planned summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump in Beijing next week.
Tensions escalated following clashes in the strait when U.S. forces launched airstrikes on two empty Iranian oil tankers. On Friday, U.S. Central Command said they were attempting to break the blockade and enter one of the country's ports.