Author; Xiao Yanyan, Jinshi Data

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday denied a report that Iran and Oman would jointly regulate shipping in the Strait of Hormuz as part of a deal to end the war, Reuters reported. This is a sign that any agreement remains elusive.

Trump’s remarks came after Iranian state television reported that it had obtained an unofficial draft agreement. According to the draft, the strategic waterway would return to pre-war commercial shipping levels within a month, with traffic managed jointly by Iran and Oman. The framework also requires the United States to lift blockades of Iranian ports and withdraw military forces from areas surrounding Iran.

Trump said no one country can control the waterway and appeared to threaten Oman. Oman is a country with which the United States has had military and economic ties for decades.

"Nobody controls (the strait)," Trump told a Cabinet meeting attended by reporters. "That's international waters, and Oman is going to act like every other country, or we're going to blow them up. They understand that, and they're going to be fine."

The White House and the Omani Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee, said thatTrump’s “sweet words” will not force Iran to give up its demands for uranium enrichment, control of the strait, and lifting of sanctions against Iran.

"It is clear that Trump is looking for a way out of this strategic impasse, alternating between issuing threats and calling for a deal," Aziz posted on the social platform.

The conflicting statements show that even as the White House has suggested in recent days that a tentative agreement to end the war may soon be reached, the differences between the two countries remain wide.

Since the ceasefire took effect in early April, Trump has repeatedly said that an agreement is within reach. Dismantling Iran's nuclear capabilities and continued sanctions are sticking points in talks aimed at ending the three-month conflict.

The Strait of Hormuz is governed by international law, which guarantees the right of passage for foreign ships. “We will monitor it, but no one can control it — that’s part of our negotiation,” Trump said.

Trump also asked Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan to join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel as part of an agreement to end the war, but these countries refused.

He raised the issue again at a cabinet meeting. "I'm not sure we should make a deal if they don't sign it, if you want to know the truth," Trump said.

Iranian state television stated that the draft agreement will also require the United States to withdraw military forces from neighboring areas, but the television station also stated that the issue of U.S. troops stationed in the region requires further discussion. The White House dismissed the report as a "complete fabrication." Tehran had no comment.

After the Iranian TV report, oil prices fell by more than 5% and then recovered.

The U.S. military has about 15,000 troops enforcing the blockade on Iran, and thousands more are stationed at bases throughout the region, including in Gulf countries such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. U.S. Navy ships, some carrying thousands of sailors and Marines, regularly pass through the region and call at ports including Oman. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Iranian television reports made no mention of Iran's nuclear program, which the United States wants to be banned.

Iranian sources saynuclear talks are set to enter a second round - something that may not be acceptable to some of Trump's closest supporters. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

"The bottom line is that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon," U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said at a cabinet meeting.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said on Wednesday that 23 vessels, including tankers, container ships and other commercial vessels, had passed through the Strait of Hormuz with its permission in the past 24 hours, a fraction of the daily average of 125 to 140 vessels before the conflict.

The war also created political problems for Trump in the United States. U.S. polls show the war is deeply unpopular with the public, less than six months before midterm elections that will determine whether Trump's Republican Party can retain control of the U.S. House and Senate.