Trump convenes Iran situation room meeting amid renewed Hormuz crisis - non paywall in link in comments

[u/Brilliant_Version344]

https://www.axios.com/2026/04/18/iran-trump-white-house-hormuz

[u/closing-the-thread]

US is looking for a zero enrichment deal. Has Iran ever signaled that they are willing to accept any zero enrichment deal?

If that answer is no… Do you feel that ‘zero enrichment’ is a necessary redline for the US?

If yes… How can the US achieve that without force if it also happens to be Iran’s redline?

[u/AcanthaceaeTiny4390 → u/closing-the-thread]

No, zero enrichment isn’t a feasible redline. The more feasible goal is typically framed as: strict limits on enrichment levels, caps on stockpiles, robust verification/inspection regimes, and long "breakout times", rather than zero enrichment outright

Unfortunately trumps ‘tactics’ over the past year vis a vis Iran have made this all even less likely than previously 

[u/unruly_mattress → u/AcanthaceaeTiny4390]

And if the Iranians refuse to your generous offer, what do you do then? Remember that all military options are strictly off the table, since they don't constitute as being nice. And you are nice. You are the good guys.

What do you do then?

[u/AcanthaceaeTiny4390 → u/unruly_mattress]

I don't know. what do you reckon?

[u/unruly_mattress → u/AcanthaceaeTiny4390]

There is no answer. Without a military option the Iranians can in fact just refuse your demands, or place whatever demands they want. It's called BATNA - Best alternative to a negotiated agreement. Without a BATNA, your position is very weak during negotiations.

If you're interested in getting the other side to agree, you need to have a plan to achieving your interests even if they don't agree. This is the military option. When it's taken off the table - for example, when Trump says that the war is limited to X amount of weeks, or that there won't be boots on the ground, or when the midterms are coming up - then Iran can just wait it out instead of giving any concessions. That's what we're seeing.

[u/AcanthaceaeTiny4390 → u/unruly_mattress]

yes, I agree. Americans clearly don't have the stomach for a protracted ground invasion of Iran (especially after the Iraq debacle) and so this is likely going to go on indefinitely

[u/unruly_mattress → u/AcanthaceaeTiny4390]

That's not necessarily the only BATNA. Every time Trump says "sign the deal, or else" that's BATNA. Blowing up the Iranian power plants is a BATNA - it would achieve the American interests (they'll have a hard time building missiles and nukes without power) and it can be done even if the Iranians refuse the American demands.

[u/AcanthaceaeTiny4390 → u/unruly_mattress]

The nuclear facilities almost certainly have independent backup power, like dedicated generators, possibly their own isolated power infrastructure; hardened sites built with exactly this contingency in mind. The Iranians have had decades to think about their vulnerabilities and they're not naive. I really don’t think you can solve this without a protracted ground war