U.S. President Donald Trump had in recent weeks been preparing to declare victory in the war with Iran if Tehran fully restored free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, The Wall Street Journal writes.

According to U.S. officials, Trump even discussed with his closest advisers the possibility of abandoning the conclusion of a nuclear deal with Iran.

However, as the newspaper notes, achieving this goal became more difficult after Iran on Saturday put forward new demands for the free passage of ships through the strait.

Among them are multibillion-dollar payments from the United States, the withdrawal of American troops from the region, and an end to the U.S. naval blockade.

Thus, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which Washington sees as a possible basis for declaring the conflict over, turned out to be tied to a broader package of demands from Tehran.