U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (U.N.) Mike Waltz told the Financial Times a stalemate could remain a year from now if nuclear talks remain unresolved and Hormuz traffic stays below prewar levels.
In an interview published Oct. 23, Waltz described a possible outcome, not a fixed timetable for the conflict. He said he hoped Tehran would return to meaningful talks before then. “One would hope that they’ll come to the table in a meaningful way before that,” he said, adding that he would not offer hypotheticals.
Waltz tied the scenario to two conditions: unresolved nuclear negotiations and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remaining below prewar levels. His remarks did not predict that the conflict would last another year; they described a possible impasse if both issues remained unsettled.
He said Washington’s objectives included addressing Iran’s highly enriched nuclear material and reaching a meaningful agreement on domestic uranium enrichment. Waltz also said President Donald Trump and the U.S. Navy could maintain a blockade of Iranian ports for the foreseeable future. He said the administration was tightening economic pressure on Iran.
Trump offered a different possible time horizon on Oct. 23, telling reporters the United States could end the war quickly. He asked whether Washington should “finish it off” or let the conflict “wither,” but did not announce which course he would take. His remarks did not establish that an end to the fighting was imminent.
