Trump faces growing pressure to reopen Hormuz Strait — one way or another

President Trump is facing growing pressure on multiple fronts to take action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the key waterway in the Middle East, as Americans face a Memorial Day weekend with the highest gas prices in nearly four years.

Iran is coming under pressure from the Qataris and Pakistanis, the mediators between the two sides, to strike an agreement. But so is the president, who is dealing with sagging approval numbers and rising inflation, said Gregory Brew, Eurasia Group’s Iran expert.

“The polling is obviously bad. Energy prices have been moving up this week, we saw some pretty negative moves on the market, both equities and bonds starting to respond unfavorably to the continued status quo,” he told The Hill on Friday. 

“The news of diplomacy has helped to rally markets in the last two days, but it’s all predicated on the two sides reaching a deal at the same time.”

Trump’s decision to stay in Washington this weekend, rather than attend his son’s wedding, has stoked speculation that some major decision is looming on Iran. 

After the reportedly contentious call between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there were “intense” diplomatic movements between Washington and Tehran, according to Brew. 

“I was also being told yesterday that the two sides were close to an agreement, but they couldn’t get there. Today, it looks like they’re making further efforts,” he told The Hill. 

Earlier this week, Trump threatened military action against Iran but backed off, letting diplomacy play out. Pakistan’s army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir was in Tehran on Friday, with a Qatari negotiating team expected this weekend, underscoring the pressure Iran is coming under to forge a deal with Washington. 

The notion of diplomatic progress was echoed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Friday morning that the U.S. was waiting for Tehran’s response to the Trump administration’s latest terms of the peace deal to end the conflict in the Middle East. 

“We await word on those conversations that are ongoing. There’s been some slight progress. I don’t want to exaggerate it, but there’s been a little bit of movement, and that’s good,” Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s........

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