Senior US officials have privately confessed that a nuclear deal with Iran is "growing increasingly unlikely" — a rare acknowledgement that Donald Trump's core objective of curbing Tehran's atomic programme may be out of reach.
The admission came on Friday via the Wall Street Journal, as the president's options narrowed after a fragile ceasefire collapsed this week. Trump declared the truce "OVER" on Tuesday, hours after Iran fired missiles at three gas and oil vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Fresh US strikes hit Tehran the following day, though no one claimed responsibility.
“US officials admit Iran nuclear deal increasingly unlikely as ceasefire collapses after missile strikes on tankers.”
Negotiations had ground to a halt over Iran's insistence on retaining its nuclear capacity. Trump has repeatedly said Tehran must "never" be allowed to build on its programme. But officials told the Journal a deal would require Iran to dig up and hand over all its enriched uranium — a condition it has so far rejected.
Iran's latest attacks on ships in the strategic waterway have also shattered the interim peace agreement signed in June, which had guaranteed safe passage for 60 days pending a final nuclear accord. The Strait — a vital artery for global oil supplies — has become a flashpoint. US Central Command said it had helped transit more than 800 vessels and 380 million barrels of crude since early May, but that figure is a fraction of the pre-war average of nearly 140 ships a day.
Tehran has continued to assert control, demanding ships seek permission to transit. One Iranian official reportedly called the strikes on commercial vessels a "mistake" and urged talks to continue.
Trump told reporters on Thursday that Iran will "never build a nuclear weapon under our deal, but I don't know if we're going to have a deal." In a Truth Social post, he said the US had agreed to further talks after Iran requested them, but insisted the ceasefire was over.
Officials warned of "serious consequences" if Iran does not promise to stop firing at ships by Saturday, though others did not suggest a firm deadline. With the ceasefire dead and negotiations stalled, Trump faces three bleak options: resume all-out war, accept a weaker deal, or abandon the conflict entirely — leaving the Strait's future in doubt.