WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said the United States and Iran could reach a formal agreement within days, raising the possibility of an extension of the fragile ceasefire and a reopening of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
In a telephone interview with ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl, Trump expressed confidence that negotiations could produce an agreement, even as diplomatic contacts faced complications involving the wider conflict across the Middle East.
“It’s looking good,” Trump said when asked about the discussions. He acknowledged that negotiations had encountered difficulties but indicated that the problems had been addressed quickly.
Trump also presented diplomacy as a potentially preferable alternative to continued military confrontation, saying a negotiated settlement could ultimately produce greater stability than a battlefield victory.
“A peace agreement with Iran could be even better than a military victory,” Trump said.
The comments reflected the administration’s continuing effort to use diplomacy to consolidate a ceasefire while addressing one of the most consequential issues in the regional crisis: the status of the Strait of Hormuz.
A Difficult Diplomatic Path
The possibility of an agreement comes after months of military confrontation, temporary ceasefires and unsuccessful attempts to establish a lasting political settlement.
Earlier U.S.-Iran negotiations had failed to produce a comprehensive peace agreement, while Washington maintained pressure on Tehran over nuclear issues, maritime security and other regional concerns. Trump has repeatedly suggested that a diplomatic settlement remains possible, while also warning that the United States retains military options if negotiations fail.
ABC News reported in June that Trump believed an agreement with Iran could be reached within roughly a week and that the negotiations were intended to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
At the time, Trump also said discussions were continuing despite disagreements and emphasized that he wanted regional military developments, including Israeli operations, to avoid undermining the diplomatic process.
The negotiations have nevertheless remained vulnerable to developments far beyond the immediate U.S.-Iran channel.
Lebanon Adds Another Layer
The conflict involving Israel, Hezbollah and Lebanon has complicated efforts to establish a broader regional settlement.
Trump has sought to separate the negotiations with Tehran from other military developments, but the fronts are closely connected. Iran maintains relationships with armed groups across the region, while Israel has repeatedly focused military operations on organizations it considers security threats.
Any significant escalation in Lebanon therefore carries the potential to complicate diplomacy with Tehran.
Reports that negotiations have encountered disagreements over Israeli military operations illustrate the difficulty of maintaining a single diplomatic track while fighting and political tensions continue elsewhere in the region.
For negotiators, the challenge is not simply reaching an initial understanding. Any agreement would have to establish mechanisms capable of preventing isolated military incidents from triggering a wider confrontation.
Strait of Hormuz at the Center
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important pressure points in the negotiations.
The narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman is a major route for global energy shipments. Disruptions to commercial traffic can quickly affect oil markets, shipping costs and broader economic conditions.
The strategic importance of the waterway has increased during the conflict. Reuters reported in October that the Strait handles roughly 20% of global oil and LNG supplies, while attacks and maritime security concerns have continued to create risks for commercial shipping.
Iran has also made clear that reopening the waterway is tied to conditions it wants fulfilled.
According to Reuters, Iranian officials said in early October that the Strait would remain closed until specific conditions contained in an earlier interim understanding with Washington were met. Tehran has described the issue primarily as one of maritime security while linking reopening to broader demands involving sanctions, frozen assets and the conflict.
Those demands illustrate the fundamental gap between the two sides.
Washington wants reliable commercial navigation and commitments addressing security and Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Tehran is seeking relief from economic pressure and guarantees concerning military and maritime issues.
A Timeline Under Pressure
Trump’s optimistic timetable does not eliminate the obstacles facing negotiators.
Vice President JD Vance said in a Reuters interview on Tuesday that Iran would need to make verifiable reductions to its nuclear enrichment capacity for a lasting agreement to be reached. Vance described the negotiations as complicated and said uncertainty surrounding decision-making in Tehran has added another challenge.
The comments demonstrate that significant differences remain even as diplomatic channels continue.
Energy markets are also watching the negotiations closely. The U.S. Energy Information Administration has raised its oil-price forecasts amid declining global inventories, tight diesel supplies and disruptions associated with the Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz risks.
That economic pressure gives the negotiations consequences far beyond Washington and Tehran.
For Trump, the immediate objective is to turn a temporary cessation of hostilities into a durable framework. For Iran, the priority is securing conditions that address its security and economic demands while preserving leverage over the Strait.
Whether those competing interests can be reconciled remains uncertain.
A deal within days would represent a major diplomatic development, but the durability of any agreement would depend on more than the announcement itself. It would require clearly defined commitments, verification mechanisms and sustained compliance by both sides.
Until those elements are secured, the Strait of Hormuz will remain both a strategic chokepoint and a central measure of whether U.S.-Iran diplomacy has moved from temporary de-escalation toward a lasting settlement.
