Despite being close to reaching a peace agreement, on April 8, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to resume airstrikes against Iran during a White House press briefing, aiming to force Iranian leaders back to the negotiation tables after regional ceasefire talks collapsed.

Iran’s greatest advantage in the war has been its control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas supply passes. The strait has remained closed throughout the ceasefire, causing oil and natural gas prices to rise and creating worldwide economic disruptions. For example, oil prices before the war were 70 to 74 dollars a barrel; however, at their peak, have now reached 120 to 126 dollars a barrel.

Recently, as efforts to end the war peacefully have escalated, an Iranian spokesman stated that the two sides are in the “final stage” of negotiations, and on Saturday, Mr. Trump said the agreement is “largely” settled.

Despite signs of progress, the two sides continue to present slightly different views on how the agreement would be implemented.

On June 14 2026, President Trump said the deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s government hasn’t verified that part of the deal. Some sources suggest that Iran still aims to keep tight control over the Strait.

The deal is expected to happen in two parts. The first part is meant to bring an end to the fighting, and open the Strait to allow Iran to start selling oil again.

One of the biggest challenges to a deal being reached has been agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. Iran claims its nuclear program is peaceful and only meant to produce power. On the other hand, many Western countries believe Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon. Iran has some dangerous uranium stored. This uranium storage is highly relevant because Iran’s progress toward nuclear-grade weapons directly triggered the 2026 war, and its disposal remains the most critical condition for keeping the current peace deal from collapsing.

During the first part of the deal, Iran is expected to pledge not to pursue nuclear weapons. The second part of the deal will take place over the next 30 to 60 days. The goal is to put an inspection system to make sure that Iran has given up on its nuclear dreams. That’s when details of how Iran’s nuclear program will be controlled are expected to be worked out.