CNN Report: Trump Administration Seeks Iran Talks Focused on Nuclear Program

According to a CNN report citing three sources familiar with the matter, the Trump administration aims to limit any future negotiations with Tehran to Iran's nuclear program, keeping the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz outside the talks. A US official told CNN that Washington's current position is to negotiate with Iran solely on the nuclear issue. Conversely, Tehran has conveyed to regional countries that it would be willing to enter nuclear negotiations only once the dispute over the strait is settled, including an end to the US blockade. Oman has been attempting to develop a regional framework for reopening the strategic waterway, but US officials have not publicly backed the proposal. Meanwhile, Oman announced that a meeting scheduled between Iran and Gulf countries to discuss possible agreements over the Strait of Hormuz has been postponed. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi stated the delay was in the interest of consensus. These developments occur amid President Donald Trump's claims that the conflict will end after the November midterm elections, though The Wall Street Journal reports that senior White House officials have privately warned him that the war could potentially last for years.