President Donald Trump says the U.S. is now “low-keying” talks with Iran, telling Axios on Sunday that the two sides are only “semi-negotiating.” Iran says there are no formal talks at all — only messages being exchanged through intermediaries.
Trump also reiterated that Iran “is in very bad shape” economically, saying the country does not have enough money to pay its troops. He said the U.S. naval blockade has made the situation worse.
Download the Straight Arrow app today to get the stories that matter free from manipulation, bias or agenda.™
Point phone camera here
Trump expressed little concern about the apparent stalemate.
“It will work out,” he told Axios. “It always works out. It’s like a chess game.”
Iran’s new demands
Tehran is now demanding the U.S. lift its naval blockade, withdraw forces from around Iran, lift sanctions, unfreeze Iranian assets and pay war damages before the reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran also wants a permanent end to the war against Iran and its allies.
Vice President JD Vance offered a different account, telling Fox News’ Kayleigh McEnany that talks are happening and the immediate focus is getting more oil and gas through Hormuz.
“Where Iran is today, Kayleigh, is that we’re talking to the Iranians, of course,” Vance said. “We’re trying to maximize the amount of oil and gas that are coming out of the Strait of Hormuz. That’s the thing that we’re most focused on right now and you see, I think, oil prices dipping around $80 a barrel today, sometimes a little bit lower. So, we’re just trying to make sure that we get what we need out of this particular conflict.”
Oil prices remain elevated with no deal yet to fully reopen the strait. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose above $84 a barrel, while the U.S. benchmark topped $78 early Monday.
Conflict in Yemen
Meanwhile, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels attacked the Yemeni port city of Mocha late Sunday night for the second time in 24 hours.
Houthi sources said the attacks targeted weapons depots and Saudi troop concentrations, while Yemen’s military claims residential neighborhoods were hit.
The attacks risk widening the conflict along another major shipping route in the Red Sea.
Round out your reading
- All your questions about napping, answered.
- Trump’s $5,000 promise echoes past payouts that never materialized.
- Inside the effort to make data centers pay their share of electricity costs.
- Why did the Feds seize the ’largest Martian meteorite on Earth’?
- Photos and video show exactly where and when Trump visited Ground Zero after 9/11.
