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Iran has deliberately prolonged talks with the United States to weaken U.S. President Donald Trump politically ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, three senior Iranian officials and an insider told Reuters, as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims its mines halted two more tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
"Iran is preparing for renewed Israeli and US attacks, not for a deal with America to end the war," one official said.
"The clerical establishment is determined not to give Trump a political victory," the official added.
With Hormuz traffic reduced to a trickle and fuel prices weighing on Trump's approval, a stalemate through the midterms leaves little chance of a breakthrough on the waterway that carried a fifth of global oil before the war.
By prolonging the talks, "Iran is influencing the U.S. election without taking any unlawful action," Tehran analyst Saeed Leylaz told Reuters.
"Reaching a sustainable deal with the U.S., even after the Trump administration, is no longer possible because of the deepened distrust. Nothing will go back to the pre-war status quo," he added.
Washington wants Iran’s nuclear program on the table from the outset, while Tehran insists its "seven-day plan" conditions, including lifting the U.S. blockade, easing oil export restrictions, releasing frozen assets, and ending hostilities on all fronts, must be met first.
"The fundamental issue is that Tehran believes that Trump is interested in regime change," said Alex Vatanka of the Middle East Institute.
The stalemate comes at a cost.
Annual inflation hit 73.6% in September, the rial has fallen nearly 35% against the dollar since July, and Iran’s seaborne crude exports have been at zero since mid-September, according to official data and Vortexa.
"Two violating oil tankers were set ablaze and halted due to the explosion of mines planted by the brave sailors of the IRGC Navy at an illegal crossing point in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz," the Guard said Tuesday.
It also claimed to have shot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone.
The Guard said a tanker hit a mine Monday and two others the day before.
Iran warned that crossing the mined area "illegally" would have no outcome other than catching fire, Iranian state TV said.
None of the claims could be independently verified, and the tankers were not identified.
A tanker was involved in an incident with military forces about 121 nautical miles east of Duqm, Oman, on Monday, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said.
"Reports indicate that the tanker was subject to interaction as part of ongoing military activity in the region," UKMTO said, without giving further details, as Iran keeps up pressure in and around Hormuz during stalled U.S. talks.
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