OAN Staff Addie Davis
7:29 AM – Monday, August 10, 2026
President Donald Trump told Axios that the United States was "low-keying" negotiations with Iran, asserting that the country remains in economic straits.
During a phone interview on Sunday with the outlet, instead of threatening renewed military action, Trump instead emphasized the economic challenges faced by the Islamic Republic.
"We are low-keying it," the commander-in-chief said. "We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money."
The president also indicated that the U.S. Naval blockade of Iranian ports was levying a heavy toll on the country, compounding with its other economic struggles, and he stated that Iran was "in very bad shape" and not able to pay its troops, Axios reported.
"It will work out. It always works out. It's like a chess game," Trump said about the continued back-and-forth with Iran, per the outlet.
The two nations appeared to have made progress on a deal, with Trump stating a little over a week ago that he was holding off on attacking Iran as it continued to be hammered out. However, no agreement has yet been announced.
Iran and Oman, which both border the Strait of Hormuz, have also been negotiating a deal over the vital international waterway, and appeared to be close to closing in on an agreement. However, on Saturday, an Iranian official, who reportedly has since been replaced, laid out a list of Iran's demands for the U.S. before the strait could be reopened, which was reported by Iran's state media.
The demands included a cessation of military action against Iran and its regional allies, the lifting of the blockade and sanctions, as well as war reparations.
Axios noted the discord present in Iranian leadership, which seemingly remains unaligned on achieving an end to the conflict. President Masoud Pezeshkian seeks to alleviate the economic strain and come to an agreement, but the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ahmad Vahidi, has taken a more hardline stance, not wishing to make any concessions, per the outlet.
Speaking with Fox News on Saturday, Vice President JD Vance signaled that the U.S. was taking a multifaceted approach to dealing with Iran, explaining that it would be some time before the conflict would reach a conclusion.
"We're really in the middle of the game here. This thing is not over. It's obviously not at the beginning," Vance said. "We're applying a whole host of tools–diplomatic, economic, military tools–to ensure that we get the best outcome for the American people."
"I feel quite confident we will get there, but we're still a bit in the middle of the game," he added.
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