Strait of Hormuz: is a Trump‑Iran joint venture really possible?

Control of the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as the central fault line in US-Iran negotiations, with US President Donald Trump appearing to recast an earlier off-the-cuff idea into a more formal proposal that seeks to bridge Tehran’s push for dominance and Washington’s insistence on open passage.Following his Tuesday announcement of a two-week ceasefire, Trump on Wednesday told the American Broadcasting Company that his administration may seek a “joint venture” with Iran to safeguard the global chokepoint, on which Tehran has maintained a tight grip since the conflict began on February 28.“We’re thinking of doing it as a joint venture. It’s a way of securing it – also securing it from lots of other people,” he said, hailing the idea as a “beautiful thing”.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday responded to press queries on the issue, saying: “It’s an idea the president has floated, as you know, and it’s something that will continue to be discussed over the course of the next two weeks”.When pressed on the issue of Iran charging a toll and reports that the narrow waterway remains closed despite the ceasefire agreement, she emphasised that the US had not yet “definitively” accepted the plan.“The joint venture is something that was proposed by the president, but he was very clear in his statement last night, he wants to see the strait reopened immediately, without limitation,” Leavitt added.01:31US and Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire amid Pakistani mediation efforts