US forces have struck Iran for five consecutive days to degrade Tehran’s attack
capability in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has threatened to bomb Iranian power
plants and bridges next week if no deal is reached; Tehran warns continued US
attacks would spread the conflict. A Cambridge international politics lecturer
says the White House will likely return to negotiations ahead of US midterms,
adding Iran wants talks and the door is open but has lost trust in the US after
previous withdrawals from agreements. Earlier this year a memorandum reached
after a joint action with Israel set a 60‑day target for a permanent ceasefire,
but the truce collapsed after Iran struck vessels it accused of unauthorised
transit and the US responded with escalating strikes. The lecturer said Iran’s
weak pre-conflict economy — and the potential for higher oil, inflation and
fertilizer prices — could push both sides back to the table, while US midterm
political pressure raises Washington’s incentive to negotiate.
