The war has created the biggest-ever oil supply disruption as maritime traffic has halted in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world\u2019s oil is transported.<\/p>\n
Attempts to open lines of communication<\/p>\n
Oman, which mediated talks before the war, has tried multiple times to open a line of communication, but the White House has made clear it is not interested, according to two sources, who were granted anonymity in order to speak freely about diplomatic matters.<\/p>\n
A senior White House official confirmed\u00a0Trump\u00a0has rebuffed those\u00a0efforts\u00a0to start\u00a0talks\u00a0and is focused on pressing ahead with the war to further weaken Tehran\u2019s military capabilities.<\/p>\n
\t \u201cHe\u2019s not interested in that right now, and we\u2019re going to continue with the mission unabated. Maybe there\u2019s a day, but not right now,\u201d the official said.<\/p>\n During the first week of the war, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Iran\u2019s leadership and military were so battered by US-Israeli strikes that they wanted to talk, but that it was \u201cToo Late!\u201d Trump has a history of shifting foreign policy stances without warning, making it hard to rule out that he might test the waters for restarting diplomacy.<\/p>\n \u201cPresident Trump said new potential leadership in Iran has indicated they want to talk and eventually will talk. For now, Operation Epic Fury continues unabated,\u201d a second senior White House official said when asked to comment.<\/p>\n The Iranian sources said Tehran has rejected efforts by several countries to negotiate a ceasefire until the US and Israel end their airstrikes and meet Iran\u2019s demands, which include a permanent end to US and Israeli attacks and compensation as part of a ceasefire.<\/p>\n Egypt, which was involved in mediation before the war, has also tried to reopen communications, according to three security and diplomatic\u00a0sources. While the\u00a0efforts\u00a0do not appear to have made progress, they have secured some military restraint from neighboring countries hit by\u00a0Iran, according to one of the\u00a0sources.<\/p>\n Egypt\u2019s foreign ministry, the government of Oman and the\u00a0Iranian government did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n Positions harden on all sides<\/p>\n The war\u2019s impact on global oil markets has significantly increased the cost for the United States.<\/p>\n Some US officials and advisers to Trump urge a quick end to the war, warning that surging gasoline prices could exact a high political price from the president\u2019s Republican Party, with US midterm elections looming.<\/p>\n \t Others are\u00a0pressing\u00a0Trump\u00a0to maintain the offensive against the Islamic Republic to destroy its missile program and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon, according to Reuters reporting.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s rejection of diplomatic\u00a0efforts\u00a0could indicate that, for now, the administration has no plans for a quick end to the war.<\/p>\n Indeed, both the United States and Iran appear even less willing to engage than during the opening days of the war, when senior US officials reached out to Oman to discuss de-escalating, according to several sources.<\/p>\n One source said Iran\u2019s top security official, Ali Larijani, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had also sought to use Oman as a conduit for ceasefire discussions that would have involved US Vice President JD Vance.<\/p>\n But those discussions have not materialized.<\/p>\n Instead,\u00a0Iran\u2019s position has hardened, said a third senior\u00a0Iranian source.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever was communicated previously through the diplomatic channels is irrelevant now,\u201d said the source.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Guards strongly believe that if they lose control over the Strait of Hormuz,\u00a0Iran\u00a0will lose the war,\u201d the source added, referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite paramilitary force that controls large parts of the economy.<\/p>\n \u201cTherefore, the Guards will not accept any\u00a0ceasefire,\u00a0ceasefire\u00a0talks, or diplomatic\u00a0efforts, and\u00a0Iran\u2019s political leaders will not engage in such\u00a0talks\u00a0despite attempts by several countries.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tIranians attend the funerals of Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commanders, army commanders and others killed in the early days of the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, at Enghelab Square in Tehran on March 11, 2026. (Atta KENARE \/ AFP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26071748884820-e1773438299698-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tUS President Donald Trump speaks at a Women\u2019s History Month event in the East Room at the White House, on March 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)<\/p>\n
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