Hormuz deal not going as Trump hoped

Like the changing winds, plans for the future of the Strait of Hormuz and their chances of success are changing almost daily. US President Donald Trump has said that an agreement could be reached this week. On Tuesday, Trump said, "It could happen. Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. A lot of progress has been made. They called me and said, please, let's talk."

However, according to a CNN analysis on Thursday, he again threatened to attack Iran if no agreement is reached. However, there is no consensus on who is actually negotiating with each other. Iran has always said that it is only discussing with Oman a temporary arrangement for the vital waterway. On the other hand, others are not very optimistic about any agreement and are also skeptical about whether the agreement will last.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai said on Wednesday that Iran and Oman had agreed on the geographical coordinates or location of a proposed safe shipping route through the strait.

He cautioned, however, that no third party should obstruct the process. A senior Gulf official familiar with the talks indicated that the chances of a deal being reached by Friday were about 50-50. Citing sources, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday that the delay in reaching an agreement with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz was mainly due to US interference and Trump's threats.