(NewsNation) — President Trump suggested Sunday he’s adopting a low-key approach in dealing with Iran, pivoting to economic pressure rather resuming U.S. military strikes against Tehran as the conflict nears the six-month mark.
“We are low keying it,” Trump told Axios in a phone interview. “We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money.”
He said a U.S. naval blockade continues to pinch the Iranian economy to the extent that Iran can’t pay its troops. Meanwhile, Trump said, American motorists will fork over less money for fuel now that oil prices have leveled off at around $75 a barrel.
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Trump’s remarks come as Iran and Oman work on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway that typically carries 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas supply. Leaders in Tehran now say any deal is contingent on the U.S. agreeing to several conditions.
People walk in front of a giant banner as daily life continues amid ongoing tensions between the United States in Tehran, Iran, on August 6, 2026. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
U.S. forces began air strikes on Iran in late February, with the Trump administration saying it would ensure the Islamic Republic could not acquire nuclear weapons or threaten the region with missiles or proxies. Trump initially said the war would be over within weeks, but Iran has leveraged the Strait of Hormuz, at times frustrating the Republican president.
Trump on Sunday sent signals that he is ready to wait.
“It will work out. It always works out. It’s like a chess game,” he told Axios.
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Reuters contributed to this report.
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