Trump tied avoiding renewed Iran strikes to progress on nuclear and Hormuz negotiations.
Why it matters: The conditional threat could affect energy markets, shipping risk and diplomacy around Iran's nuclear program. The Strait of Hormuz carries major global oil and LNG flows.
- Trump said on November 8 that renewed U.S. strikes were highly unlikely if talks continued making progress.
- He said restraint depended on Iran signing a "very strong agreement" covering the nuclear issue and Hormuz.
- Trump said U.S. forces had identified 38 Iranian bridges as potential targets.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was no diplomatic breakthrough and reserved the right to defend shipping and U.S. forces.
President Donald Trump said renewed U.S. strikes against Iran were "highly unlikely" if negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and reopening the Strait of Hormuz continued to advance.
"It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement," Trump said in a phone interview with CNN, according to CNBC and CNN-syndicated reporting. He repeated the phrase "highly unlikely" five times during the approximately 20-minute interview.
Trump also kept military pressure on the table. He said U.S. forces had identified 38 Iranian bridges as potential targets, adding that they could be destroyed "in literally one hour." The exact identity and location of the bridges were not disclosed.
The comments followed a limited U.S. defensive strike against Iranian targets on or near Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on November 2, as reported by The Associated Press and described in a U.S. Central Command release.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there had been no diplomatic breakthrough. He defended the administration's posture, saying, "If there's a clear and present threat to shipping or to our forces in the region, we have a right to defend ourselves," according to AP.
The stakes extend beyond nuclear diplomacy. The Strait carried approximately 20.9 million barrels of oil per day in the first half of 2025, according to the Energy Information Administration. About 20% of global LNG trade passed through the waterway in 2024, primarily from Qatar, the EIA said.
By the numbers
- 20.9 million barrels per day - oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz in the first half of 2025
- 20% - share of global LNG trade that transited the Strait in 2024
- 38 bridges - potential Iranian targets identified by Trump
Yes, but: The remarks signal conditional de-escalation, not a ceasefire or completed agreement. No final U.S.-Iran agreement, signed text or publicly verified negotiating timetable had been identified as of November 9, 2026, and it was unclear whether Iran accepted Trump's condition.