August 10, 2026Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeAugust 10, 2026UpdatesReport: Trump says U.S. is 'semi-negotiating' with Iran, as officials stress economic pain over military action U.S. President Donald Trump walks out of the clubhouse at Trump National Bedminster in New Jersey on Sunday. Credit: Dennis Schneidler/ReutersU.S. President Donald Trump walks out of the clubhouse at Trump National Bedminster in New Jersey on Sunday. Credit: Dennis Schneidler/ReutersU.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he was "only semi-negotiating" with Iran, in a brief phone call with Axios, citing the country's high inflation rate and "the fact they have no money" as he refrained from issuing military threats and touted increased economic pressure on Tehran. Trump told the outlet Iran was in "very bad shape" and had no money to pay its soldiers, saying the U.S. naval blockade was effective in stoking the regime's economic crisis. "It will work out. It always works out. It's like a chess game," he told Axios. "We are low-keying it." Speaking to the outlet, U.S. officials said the Iranian regime was split between two camps. One, led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, is concerned Iran will face economic disaster if a deal with the U.S. is not signed. The other, led by Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander, Ahmad Vahidi, maintains the hardline position, rejecting any concessions. According to the report, one U.S. official said that as long as the U.S. continued attacking Iran, the regime could avoid the economic consequences of the strikes. "When Iran isn't engaged in war, it is forced to confront a grim reality with no real solutions at hand," the official told Axios. The official added that the U.S. military was coordinating the export of 8 million barrels of oil a night through the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz, which hugs the coast of Oman. Trump reportedly prepared to declare victory on Iran, pending Hormuz reopeningU.S. President Donald Trump exits the clubhouse at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey on Sunday. Credit: Jordan Bank/Getty Images via AFPU.S. President Donald Trump exits the clubhouse at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey on Sunday. Credit: Jordan Bank/Getty Images via AFPU.S. President Donald Trump was prepared to declare victory in the war against Iran should the Strait of Hormuz be reopened, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, citing U.S. officials, saying privately he would forgo signing a nuclear deal with Tehran. According to the report, Trump is willing to show patience in negotiations, particularly if the price of gas at U.S. pumps remains stable. Speaking to The Journal, a White House official said the U.S. completed all its military objectives in Iran, and the president is now focused on securing the transit of oil through the strait. Trump will maintain military readiness to respond should Iran target ships in the strategic waterway, the report said. According to The Journal, Trump has privately said Iran would not be able to reconstruct its nuclear sites during his presidency, three of which the U.S. destroyed in the June 2025 war. Trump said U.S. intelligence would likely catch Iranian reconstruction attempts, the report said, saying the president is confident the threat of further attacks could serve as a deterrent. According to officials who spoke to the newspaper, Trump is likely to extend the cease-fire indefinitely and lift the naval blockade on Iran should traffic resume in the strait and the U.S. maintains its ability to keep Iran's nuclear program on hold. In the NewsBoard of Peace Envoy: Israel Won't Withdraw From Gaza Until Militants DisarmedJewish MK Joining Arab Party Could Shatter Netanyahu's Election MathThe West Bank Special: An All-you-can-steal BuffetYou Can't Integrate Israel Into Middle East While Isolating It From PalestiniansPoll: Likud Regains Lead but Opposition Bloc Still Ahead by Three SeatsRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIIsrael's Leading Philosopher on Manipulation, Morality and the Future of ZionismHow Israel's Elbit Armed the United Arab EmiratesIsrael Captured 230 Square Miles of Lebanon, Razed Villages and Built New BasesHow a Teen, Not a Journalist, Debunked Israel's Gaza 'Voluntary Emigration' Plan'I Saw Pictures of Dead Kids. In the Army They Told Us We Only Kill Terrorists'Former Mossad Chief Appointed to Lead U.S. Defense Technology Company