Trump: Iranians Not Yet Ready for a "Proper" Deal, Says US Controls Areas Around Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump said early Saturday, 31 Mordad 1405 (August 22, 2026) Tehran time, speaking to reporters, that Iranians are "very willing" to reach a deal but are "not yet ready" for a "proper" agreement. According to Iran's IRNA news agency, carried by Donya-e-Eqtesad, Trump added that the United States controls the area associated with the Strait of Hormuz, including its land areas.

Asked whether turning to economic warfare signaled that US military options were limited, Trump said that was not the case and stressed he makes "only good deals." The remarks came after The New Yorker had earlier reported, in a review of six months of the US and Israeli war on Iran, that Washington had achieved limited strategic gains and that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.