WASHINGTON/LONDON/BAGHDAD, May 12 — United States President Donald Trump said that he does not think he will need China's help to end the war with Iran, even as hopes for a lasting peace deal dwindled and Tehran tightened its grip over the Strait of Hormuz.
Ahead of a high-stakes summit in Beijing, he said he did not think he would need to enlist Chinese President Xi Jinping to resolve the conflict, which has continued to block maritime traffic that normally provides one-fifth of the world's oil supply.
"I do not think we need any help with Iran. We will win it one way or the other, peacefully or otherwise," he told the media.
More than one month after a tenuous ceasefire took effect, the two sides have made no progress on an agreement to end hostilities.
In contrast, sources familiar with the matter said that Iran has appeared to tighten its control over the Strait of Hormuz, cutting deals with Iraq and Pakistan to ship oil and liquefied natural gas from the region.
Other countries are exploring similar deals, in a move that could normalise Tehran's control of the waterway on a more permanent basis.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration said that senior US and Chinese officials had agreed last month that no country should be able to charge tolls on traffic through the region, in an effort to project consensus on the issue ahead of the summit.
China, which maintains ties with Iran and remains a major buyer of its oil, did not dispute that characterisation.
Trump is due to discuss the war with Xi during meetings scheduled for Thursday to Friday and is widely expected to encourage China to persuade Tehran to reach a deal with Washington to end the conflict.
US demands include ending Iran's nuclear programme and lifting its chokehold on the strait.
Tehran has responded with demands of its own, including compensation for war damage, the lifting of the US blockade, and an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, where US ally Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. Trump dismissed those positions as "garbage" on Monday.
Price of war
As the costs of the war mount, Trump said that Americans’ financial struggles had no influence on his thinking on the Iran war.
The US Labour Department said earlier in the day that American consumer inflation continued to accelerate in April, with the annual rate posting its largest gain in three years. The data showed food prices surged, while rental costs and airfares also climbed.
When asked by a reporter to what extent Americans’ economic pain was motivating him to strike a deal, the President said: “Not even a little bit.”
"The only thing that matters, when I am talking about Iran, they cannot have a nuclear weapon. I do not think about Americans’ financial situation; I do not think about anybody.
"I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That is all; that is the only thing that motivates me," he said before leaving the White House for his trip to China.
The remarks are likely to draw scrutiny from critics as cost-of-living concerns remain a top issue for voters ahead of the November midterm elections.
Brent crude oil futures extended gains, climbing to more than US$107 a barrel, as the deadlock left the Strait of Hormuz largely closed.
US Central Command said the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln was in the Arabian Sea enforcing the American blockade, where it had redirected 65 commercial vessels and disabled four others.
The Pentagon put the cost of the war at US$29 billion (RM114 billion) so far, an increase of US$4 billion (RM15.72 billion) from an estimate provided late last month. An official told lawmakers the new cost included updated equipment repairs and replacements
Surveys show the war is unpopular with US voters less than six months before nationwide elections that will determine whether Trump's Republican Party retains control of Congress.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday revealed that two out of three Americans, including one in three Republicans and almost all Democrats, think Trump has not clearly explained why the country has gone to war.
Iranian officials stand firm
Iranian officials remained defiant.
A Fars news agency report cited an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps official as saying Iran had expanded its definition of the Strait of Hormuz into a zone stretching from the coast of the city of Jask in the east to Siri Island in the west.
State TV reported that in Tehran, the Guards held drills "centred on preparation to confront the enemy".
