It may take up to a week to finalize a peace deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but President Trump may opt out if Tehran doesn’t commit to his terms, a senior administration official told The Post Sunday.
After Trump signaled that negotiations over the war and Iran’s nuclear program were in their final phase, the state of Tehran’s government has made the final process move slowly, one senior official said.
The source indicated that it may take several days for the final deal to make its way to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who remains in hiding since the war began and is believed to be injured.
The actual opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the end of the American blockade of Iranian ports would take around seven days, with the US to only lift sanctions once Iran surrenders its enriched uranium, the official added.
The officials echoed Washington’s latest “no dust, no dollars” mantra, referencing Iran’s nearly 1,000-pounds of enriched uranium that Trump claimed was turned to dust and buried during last year’s joint US-Israeli airstrikes.
The Trump administration has been adamant that any deal must make sure Iran is stripped of any ability to develop a nuclear weapon, with the current deal in place giving negotiators 30 days to discuss how Tehran will give up its uranium stockpile, the senior official said.
In the meantime, the deal would give the world economy some much needed relief by allowing ships to sail unimpeded through the Strait of Hormuz, an oil chokepoint that Iran shut down in retaliation over the war.
Trump has been keen to reopen the strait after receiving warnings from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that the economic shock absorbers the US put in place are at their limit, the official added.
The administration ultimately believes that a deal can be secured soon, with the Trump official claiming that the voices of Iran’s moderates have risen to greater influence and are pushing back against Tehran’s hardliners.
Despite the positive outlook, Trump has maintained that he is in no rush to secure a deal and will keep the talks open until the ideal terms are set.
