Trump said Iran was "eager to negotiate," but Iran and Oman finalized a consensus on the Strait route, causing tensions over oil prices and drones

On September 14, Trump posted on social media, mocking Iran as "a country in trouble."

He even emphasized twice in a row that Iran was "eager to reach an agreement."

So the question is, is Iran really as anxious to negotiate as he said?

Iran quietly finalized a consensus on the Strait route with Oman. Shortly before Trump issued the statement, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Bagaei just released two pieces of news at a regular press conference in Tehran:

One is: a regional conference originally scheduled to be held in Oman was postponed at the request of Saudi Arabia;

Another is: Iran and Oman have reached a final consensus on sea routes.

You know, the core channel of the Strait of Hormuz happens to be sandwiched between the territorial waters of Oman and Iran. As long as the two rightful owners reach a consensus, in terms of law and practice, it is equivalent to holding the "steering wheel" of the Strait in their own hands.

Bagaei also revealed the next steps: "We will consult with Oman to decide the next step and how to announce or register this consensus. Relevant information will also be announced in a timely manner."

In other words, there is no problem with the consensus. Now the two sides need to discuss how to speak to the outside world, when to speak, and in what form.

As soon as Saudi Arabia opened its mouth, a good meeting in the Gulf region became "dirty"

As Bagaei said, there was originally a regional meeting to discuss the issue of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz with the Gulf countries.

However, the meeting went dark on the 14th.

Bagaei introduced at the press conference that the purpose of this meeting is to prepare Iran and Oman to inform the Gulf countries of the results of their consultations on the navigation issue in the Strait of Hormuz at this meeting.

The result? Before the meeting even started, Saudi Arabia asked for it to be postponed.

Note Bagaei's wording - he made it very clear: the delay was at the request of Saudi Arabia.

As for why Saudi Arabia asked for a postponement? Bagaei gave Iran's judgment: Some people blame the postponement of the meeting on the developments between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, but in Iran's view, this is tantamount to "finding the wrong target."

He even bluntly accused Saudi Arabia of "an attempt to divert attention from the root causes of this crisis."

Bagaei also warned that the ongoing wars between regional Muslim countries will ultimately only benefit Israel, as Israel has been trying to increase tensions and insecurities in regional countries.

Oil prices and drones have both exploded

Almost at the same time, Saudi Arabia launched intensive air strikes in the past few days in retaliation for the Houthis. The war in Yemen also blocked the Red Sea route, and several major shipping giants in the world have changed their routes.

The chain reaction is that the international Brent crude oil price has skyrocketed, directly breaking through the $108 per barrel mark.

The military confrontation in the Persian Gulf also erupted again.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced in a high-profile manner on the 14th that its air defense forces used the latest defense system to successfully intercept and shoot down a US military MQ-1 "Predator" advanced drone over the Strait of Hormuz.

Since the conflict broke out in February this year, the US military has damaged nearly 60 drones over the Persian Gulf.

Trump criticized Iran for being "eager to reach a deal," but Iran said that it had just reached a consensus on the shipping route with Oman and that it was holding the "steering wheel" of the Strait of Hormuz.

In the game of chess in the Middle East, some people flip the table and others make moves, but what really changes the situation are often things that are quietly negotiated.

Author: Wang Xi