Trump says Iran talks remain limited as pressure mounts

President Donald Trump says Washington is still in contact with Iran, but only in a limited and indirect way, even as Tehran keeps its own demands tied to the future of the Strait of Hormuz. The remarks add a fresh layer to the already tense Donald Trump Iran war file, where military pressure, sanctions and diplomacy are moving on separate tracks.

Donald Trump Iran war talks stay limited

In comments reported by Axios, Trump said his administration was keeping a close watch on Iran as economic strain deepened. He described the exchanges as low-key and said the US was only semi-negotiating with Tehran. According to the account, Trump also pointed to inflation in Iran and the government’s lack of money as signs that pressure was mounting.

The White House comments suggest that, despite the public confrontation between Washington and Tehran, some channel of communication remains open. But the language Trump used also signals that the administration is not presenting these contacts as full negotiations. Instead, the president portrayed them as restrained and tactical.

Iran links Hormuz reopening to conditions

At the same time, Iran said a separate agreement with Oman on new shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz was nearing completion. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the arrangement was in its final stages, according to Mehr news agency. He also repeated Tehran’s position that the waterway would not reopen until other conditions were met.

Iran has effectively blocked the strategic passage since US and Israeli attacks in late February, according to the source material. The country has also said it wants to charge tolls for passage and has targeted ships it says are trying to use routes that bypass its preferred corridor.

Araghchi denied that Iran was negotiating directly with the United States. Instead, he said the two sides were only exchanging messages through intermediaries. That distinction matters because it underlines how both governments are framing the contact: Washington describes limited engagement, while Tehran rejects the idea of direct talks.

Why the Strait of Hormuz matters

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most sensitive energy routes, and any restriction on traffic there can have wider consequences beyond the immediate dispute. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the strait would remain closed until the United States met a list of demands, including compensation for war damage.

Iranian security chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr had also set out conditions for reopening the waterway, including an end to what he called war and aggression against Iran and its allies.

Together, the comments from Washington and Tehran show a standoff that is part diplomacy, part coercion. The United States appears to be using economic pressure alongside limited contact, while Iran is tying any maritime arrangement to broader political and security concessions.

For now, there is no sign of a breakthrough. The reporting suggests that contact is continuing, but both sides remain far apart on what counts as a real deal and what would be required to restore normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.