Trump offers Iran economic relief in exchange for concrete nuclear concessions

President Donald Trump predicted on Monday that the United States would win its war with Iran "very soon," predicting that gas prices would plummet and oil prices would decline sharply once the conflict ends. Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump stated, "We're going to win, as far as I'm concerned, it's going to be one way or the other," emphasizing the swift nature of the victory. He connected the outcome of the war to energy prices, saying, "Gas prices will come tumbling down" after the United States secures a win.

Mediators were working behind the scenes to revive diplomacy between Washington and Tehran, with efforts focused on the Strait of Hormuz as the focal point for ending the fighting and restoring normal shipping through the crucial waterway. However, officials cited by The Associated Press noted significant obstacles remaining between the two sides.

Trump reiterated Iran's non-negotiable stance against acquiring a nuclear weapon, warning of dire consequences if Iran were to strike the United States with one. He emphasized, "If you want to see turmoil and a travesty, let them take out a city with a nuclear weapon… let them hit us with a nuclear weapon."

The diplomatic push followed Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz following Washington's removal of its blockade on Iranian ports, release of frozen assets, and easing of sanctions on Iranian oil sales. Trump dismissed the proposal, advocating for continued talks this week. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was set to meet with Qatari mediators in New York on Monday.

A senior U.S. official indicated Trump's openness to a non-military resolution, should one be attainable, while another official stressed that Washington would not accept a deal unless Iran’s nuclear program was addressed.