Trump strategy plays down Iran threat, vows to keep Strait of Hormuz open

Washington remains committed to keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and preventing “outright enemies” from dominating the Persian Gulf and its energy supplies, US President Trump said in his 2025 National Security Strategy.

The document, published late Thursday, appears to downplay the scale of the threat from Iran and offers only cursory references to Tehran.

“Iran — the region’s chief destabilizing force — has been greatly weakened by Israeli actions since October 7, 2023, and President Trump’s June 2025 Operation Midnight Hammer, which significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear program,” the document reads.

“America will always have core interests in ensuring that Gulf energy supplies do not fall into the hands of an outright enemy, and that the Strait of Hormuz remain open,” it adds.

Iran’s military chiefs have floated the threat of closing the Strait of Hormuz during past standoffs with the West—with the Army and the Revolutionary Guards conducting regular drills in the Persian Gulf.

The NSS 2025 provides almost no detail on Iran’s capabilities or intentions, or what the commitment to keep open the waterway, through which much of the world's energy export flows, would entail.

Mideast peace

The broader chapter recasts the Middle East as a region the United States no longer needs to organise its foreign policy around, arguing that two pillars of past engagement—energy dependence and superpower rivalry—have faded.

The text insists “there is today less to this problem than headlines might lead one to believe,” asserting that Iran’s weakening has reduced regional instability.

Perhaps its sharpest ideological marker is a rejection of US pressure on authoritarian partners.

Earlier efforts challenging the Arab monarchies, NSS argues, were “misguided experiment with hectoring these nations,” adding that the Trump administration will “accept the region, its leaders, and its nations as they are while working together on areas of common interest.”

The text concludes that the Middle East “is no longer the constant irritant, and potential source of imminent catastrophe, that it once was,” crediting Trump for his ability “to unite the Arab world” and allowing the United States to “finally prioritize American interests.”

Tehran not interested in talks with US, MP says

Dec 5, 2025, 10:20 GMT

Iranian lawmaker Fada-Hossein Maleki said on Friday that the United States has sent messages indicating interest in negotiations, but Tehran has no plans to engage.

He told the outlet Didban Iran that “the remarks of the Supreme Leader about negotiations with the US are the final word,” adding that “we tried every path, but in the end it led to war and the wall of distrust only grew higher.”

Maleki said messages had arrived “through different channels,” but insisted Iran does not view Washington as a reliable counterpart. “The Americans want to dictate their positions. We want negotiations that secure our rights, not talks that follow their script,” he said.

Preconditions at the heart of the standoff

Maleki said one key reason for Iran’s rejection of talks is Washington’s insistence on sweeping concessions, including halting uranium enrichment. “Zero enrichment is something Iran will never accept,” he said, describing the demand as outside international norms. He added that “no IAEA member state accepts such limits on its own soil.”

Iran International reported last month that President Donald Trump reiterated three preconditions for talks via Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: an end to enrichment, curbs on Iran’s missile program, and halting support for armed allies in the region. Tehran rejects all three as non-starters.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei last week denied that Iran had asked Saudi Arabia to mediate, calling reports of outreach “pure lies.” Maleki said lawmakers and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have agreed that Iran should stay aligned with Khamenei’s guidance.

Araghchi had said earlier that Iran remains open to negotiation “when it is real,” but added that Washington is currently “dictating, not negotiating.”

Regional risks and warnings

Maleki said there is a possibility of US or Israeli attacks on armed groups aligned with Iran in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen, describing Washington and Tel Aviv as increasingly isolated. “They are cornered, and they may act out of desperation,” he said.

He argued that some Arab governments no longer view US guarantees as dependable. “Many in the region see that the American rope is rotten, and those who cling to it will fall to the bottom of the well,” he said.

Maleki said Iran is ready for any escalation. “We are far more prepared than before,” he said, adding that although Iran suffered losses in the opening hours of the recent twelve-day conflict, “the enemy knows our readiness now.”

He said Tehran’s position remains unchanged: “Whenever the Americans enter real negotiations — give and take — and prove good faith, we have no problem. But imposing preconditions will never be acceptable.”