Trump Says It’s a “Big Deal or No Deal” as the U.S. Strikes Iran Again Two Days Later, Pressuring Negotiations

Tensions between the U.S. military and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz are rising again. Even as the two sides continue talks over a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on ending the conflict, expanded U.S. airstrikes and Iranian retaliation are fueling fears that the situation could slide back into full-scale confrontation.
■ Iran retaliates after U.S. strikes at the “verge of an agreement”
On the 28th local time, major foreign media outlets reported that the war between the United States and Iran had entered its third month. The two sides had been maintaining a fragile ceasefire since the 8th of last month and had been moving quickly on draft MOU talks through the previous day. But as the level of military clashes rose again around the Strait of Hormuz on the 28th, the situation deteriorated rapidly.
U.S. President Donald Trump had said the day before that an agreement was close. He then quickly shifted course, saying he had instructed officials not to rush a deal. He also stressed that it would either be “a great and meaningful agreement” or “no deal.” At a White House Cabinet meeting the previous day, Trump warned that “if there is no agreement, we’ll just have to finish the job.”
The U.S. military said it carried out another airstrike on an Iranian military facility near the Strait of Hormuz that day. It also announced that it had shot down four Iranian attack drones. The move came two days after a smaller strike on the 25th. On the same day, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury stepped up sanctions pressure by adding Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) and affiliated groups to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List).
In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) immediately launched retaliation. According to Iranian state media, the IRGC said it fired missiles at a U.S. air base at around 4:50 a.m. that day. The IRGC described the attack as a response to the U.S. military’s additional airstrike targeting Bandar Abbas and warned that “if the aggression is repeated, a more decisive response will follow.”
Although the IRGC did not disclose the target base, missile and drone activity detected in Kuwaiti airspace has raised the possibility that Ali Al Salem Air Base was the target.
■ The Strait of Hormuz as leverage vs. no sanctions relief
Iranian state television claimed the previous day that it had obtained an unofficial draft MOU under discussion with the United States. It said the draft included provisions for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from around Iran and the lifting of maritime blockades. In return, Iran said it would restore traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to prewar levels within a month. However, it added that Iran would control route designation and vessel management, with Oman cooperating under those terms.
Ali Akbar Velayati, an aide to Iran’s supreme leader on international affairs, argued that “the real guarantee of any agreement is the Strait of Hormuz itself.” Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary-general of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), also said that “the procedures and conditions for passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be completely different from before the war,” adding that Iran was “discussing a new transit system with Oman.”
The United States, however, denied Iran’s claims. Donald Trump said that “the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway and no one can control it,” adding, “We will monitor it.” In an interview with PBS, he also said there would be no sanctions relief for simply giving up highly enriched uranium, demanding instead a broader long-term abandonment of Iran’s nuclear program. On the issue of Iran’s highly enriched uranium, Trump said that the involvement of China or Russia “would make me uncomfortable.” He has recently shown some flexibility toward disposal under international monitoring inside Iran or in a third country, but made clear that a structure involving China or Russia would not be acceptable. He also rejected Iran’s demand for the return of frozen assets, saying, “We will keep control of it.”
km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter