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U.S. President Donald Trump signaled that Washington intends to let economic pressure weaken Iran rather than risk renewed fighting, as Israel seeks to preserve its freedom to continue military operations against Tehran, Israeli media reported.
Trump told Axios that the U.S. is taking a restrained approach toward Iran for now, saying Washington is "only semi-negotiating" with Tehran while watching its deteriorating economy. "We are low-keying it," Trump said. "We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money."
Trump argued that Iran is in "very bad shape" economically and lacks the money to pay its troops. He also claimed the U.S. naval blockade has deepened the pressure on the Iranian government and worsened its economic crisis.
He pointed to oil prices falling to slightly over $75 a barrel, saying U.S. consumers are feeling less pain from the war. "It will work out. It always works out. It’s like a chess game," Trump said of the standoff with Tehran.
The remarks followed reports that Trump had been considering a return to major combat operations against Iran a week earlier but ultimately opted to de-escalate for now, the report emphasized.
Meanwhile, efforts to arrange traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remain stalled.
Iran and the U.S. signed a memorandum of understanding through Pakistani and Qatari mediation on June 18, ending active hostilities and opening negotiations toward a final agreement. The talks later broke down over disputes involving maritime security and freedom of navigation through the strait.
A separate agreement negotiated by Iran, Oman and the U.S. has also remained pending for several days. Under the proposed arrangement, Iran would receive partial control over traffic through the waterway, a role it did not have before the war.
Separately, Israeli Channel 13 reported that Washington is pressing Israel to wind down fighting in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, with U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper delivering the message during a visit to Israel on Saturday.
Citing unnamed political sources, the broadcaster reported that Cooper told Israeli officials Washington wants progress toward "closing the three fronts."
Israeli military officials told their U.S. counterparts that Israel wants to preserve its freedom to act against Iran if Tehran continues developing its nuclear program or rebuilding its ballistic missile capabilities.
In Lebanon, Washington is pushing for further Israeli withdrawals from positions inside the security zone in the south. In Gaza, the U.S. is seeking progress and the deployment of a multinational force that currently includes hundreds of troops from Morocco and Uganda, according to the Israeli broadcaster.
Israeli security officials have also raised objections with the political leadership in recent days over U.S. demands to halt targeted killings and scale back military operations in Gaza. The broadcaster noted that those demands do not explicitly appear in proposals currently under discussion.
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