President Trump privately told aides on 31 March that he would accept ending military operations even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed.1 White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed publicly that reopening Hormuz is "not a core objective."
As recently as 30 March, Trump's Truth Social posts threatened to "destroy every power plant in Iran" if the strait was not "immediately open for business". By 31 March, he was privately telling aides he would accept ending operations with the strait still largely closed. Privately, Trump told aides the opposite. His administration now defines success as crippling Iran's navy and missile capabilities, objectives that can be declared met on Washington's schedule rather than Tehran's.
Brent crude fell roughly $3 to $113.20 per barrel on the session, a 3% drop, as markets read the shift as marginally positive for supply. At current levels, UK drivers pay roughly 155p per litre, still 40% above February prices. Brent remains 68% above its pre-war level of $67.41 and on track for a record monthly gain.
Iran's five conditions for ending the war include permanent sovereignty over the Strait. If Trump no longer insists on reopening it, the gap between the two positions narrows to reparations, non-recurrence guarantees, and the nuclear file. None of those are simple. But they are negotiable in ways that sovereignty over an international waterway is not. Six days remain before the 6 April deadline, and the distance between public threats and private concessions has never been wider.
