Shafaq News- Washington
US President Donald Trump indicated on Friday that Iran is showing its strongest commitment yet in negotiations but remains unwilling to sign a deal, urging Tehran to take the process more seriously.
“We’re talking to them right now. I think they’re getting more and more solid as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Asked whether he had decided to launch major strikes on Iran, the President replied in the negative, warning that US forces are “locked and loaded and ready to go” if the situation requires it.
He also accused Iran of seeking regional dominance, arguing that the United States would not allow Tehran to become “the bully of the region.” Reiterating that Iran had lost all of its naval capabilities, radar stations, and air defense systems, Trump suggested the country could either accept a settlement or rely on underground facilities.
Axios, meanwhile, reported that the United States and Britain are preparing a high-level meeting in London next week to discuss a possible international coalition to safeguard maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Citing European diplomatic sources, the outlet noted that the meeting's timing and agenda remain under discussion, with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine among the potential participants.
The sources added that Washington is seeking to build on consultations Britain and France have already held with several countries on establishing an international maritime security mission for the strategic waterway. The United States is also asking its allies to contribute militarily by deploying mine-clearing vessels, naval ships, and drones to help secure the route.
On July 12, Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) disclosed that it had fired on and intercepted vessels it accused of using unauthorized routes in violation of Iranian navigation directives.
Before the Iran war, the strategic waterway carried about 20% of global oil supplies, making it one of the world's most important energy shipping routes.