President Donald Trump announced that the US is nearing a nuclear agreement with Iran, one that would commit Tehran to abandoning its pursuit of nuclear weapons. In the same breath, he made clear that military action remains an option if negotiations stall.
The negotiations center on Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles, a longstanding flashpoint in nonproliferation discussions. The core demand from the US side is straightforward: Iran agrees not to develop nuclear weapons, full stop.
Beyond the nuclear question, the talks also aim to address the reopening of key shipping routes, notably the Strait of Hormuz. That narrow waterway between Iran and Oman handles a massive share of global oil transit, and any disruption there ripples through energy markets almost instantly.
Trump withdrew the US from the JCPOA on May 8, 2018, reimposing sanctions and setting off a chain of events that pushed Iran to accelerate its enrichment program.
The crypto sanctions front
