President Donald Trump said Sunday a deal ‘could be soon’ amid negotiations with Iran and revealed 20 more oil tankers are set to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a ‘sign of respect’.
He said this at the Saudi-backed Future Investment Initiative Priority forum in Miami.
Trump claimed Tehran was ‘basically begging’ for peace negotiations and the regime was desperate to cut a deal after suffering what he characterized as heavy losses on the battlefield.
‘We’re doing extremely well in that negotiation. But you never know with Iran, because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up,’ he added while speaking to reporters on Air Force One.
‘I think we’ll make a deal with them, but it’s possible that we won’t,’ Trump continued. ‘I do see a deal in Iran. It could be soon.’
When asked by Libby Alon of Channel 14 Israel whether the US could take control of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump replied: ‘Yes, of course, it’s already happening.’
The strategically vital waterway, which serves as a conduit for roughly one-fifth of global oil supply, has been partially closed by Iran. The result has sent oil prices skyrocketing.
Trump also referred to the essential waterway as the ‘Strait of Trump,’ something he made a pointed joke about during a speech on Friday.
‘We’re negotiating now, and it would be great if we could do something, but they have to open it up. They have to open up the Strait of Trump – I mean Hormuz.’
