US envoy says Washington is ready for a long standoff with Iran

Talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz have stalled since late September, and Tehran wants the blockade lifted first.

A US envoy said the United States is prepared for a long standoff with Iran. The remark points to a deadlock over the order of steps that has held since late September, not to a new escalation or a near-term deal.

Tehran says the blockade must be lifted before anything else. A representative of Iran's Supreme Leader in Khuzestan said any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz must happen within Iran's arrangements and conditions.

Trump has publicly pledged no strikes on Iran before November 3. Reports said Trump had ordered plans to hit Iran's energy sites with the Mother of All Bombs if combat resumes. Asked about embassy staff told to leave the Middle East, Trump said he did not know that they were, and that he did not know about the move of embassy personnel.

The State Department said Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia are increasing, naming civilian airports and critical infrastructure as targets. Katz said the Iranian regime is at its weakest point ever, and that any renewed Israeli operation is expected to wait until after the Israeli and US midterms.

Oil's risk premium fell on Thursday, October 22, as uncertainty over a ceasefire weighed on prices. The envoy's framing rests on patience rather than new terms or deadlines, so it does little to ease the physical disruption already hitting Gulf shipping.