Abigail Hauslohner, Andrew England and Bita GhaffariAug 5, 2026 – 2.12pmWashington/London/Tehran | Donald Trump and his aides have said more than a dozen times over the past five months that the US is “close” to a deal with Iran. But if one materialises from talks between Iran and Oman, it will fall well short of the objectives that the president laid out when he launched the war.Since attacking Iran in February, Trump’s immediate demands have shrunk from a sprawling list of concessions involving Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, ballistic missile production and support for proxy militias to just one: that Iran allow the Strait of Hormuz to return to its prewar state.Financial TimesSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles