Trump seeks Hormuz peace deal

by WILL COOPER
Special contributor
WASHINGTON, (CAJ News) – UNITED States (US) President Donald Trump is facing mounting economic and diplomatic pressure as efforts to revive negotiations with Iran gather pace, with proposals involving the reopening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz and possible US sanctions relief, including the release of some frozen Iranian funds.

The emerging diplomatic effort follows Iran’s proposal for reopening the waterway within seven days in return for the lifting of the US blockade and other concessions.

Trump initially rejected the proposal, although US and Iranian negotiators, through mediators, are continuing to explore a phased agreement.

The negotiations have enormous global significance because the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints.

Before the conflict, about one-fifth of global oil supplies, roughly 20 million barrels per day, passed through the waterway. Disruptions have reduced flows and contributed to higher international energy prices.

The consequences have reached ordinary American households.

US motorists have faced sharply higher petrol prices, while diesel costs have also surged, raising transportation, farming and logistics expenses.

The Washington Post reported that the average US price of regular petrol reached $4.49 a gallon on September 26, compared with $2.98 on February 28, when the US and Israel attacked Iran.

The energy shock is also affecting economies beyond the US. Higher crude prices increase the cost of transporting goods and producing electricity, potentially feeding inflation and putting additional pressure on households already struggling with food, housing and other expenses.

Brent crude was above $108 a barrel on September 28, according to the Associated Press.

For Washington, the political costs are also becoming increasingly visible. Recent polling has recorded weak public approval of Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict.

RealClearPolitics’ average of national polls covering August 10 to September 20 showed 32.6 percent approving and 62.5 percent disapproving of his handling of Iran.

A September Ipsos poll put approval at 27 percent against 65 percent disapproval.

The figures do not by themselves establish the causes of public dissatisfaction, but they indicate significant opposition to the administration’s approach to Iran among surveyed Americans.

As mediators pursue a possible settlement, the central challenge is balancing demands over Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions, frozen assets and security with the urgent need to restore safe passage through Hormuz.

For global energy markets, reopening the waterway could ease supply pressures. For American households, it could also provide relief from one of the most immediate economic consequences of the conflict: expensive fuel.

– CAJ News