After weeks of threats of a major military escalation against Iran, US President Donald Trump appears to be exploring a way to end the conflict without securing a broader nuclear agreement with Tehran.

According to The Wall Street Journal report, Trump has privately indicated to senior aides that he could declare the conflict a success if Iran fully reopens the Strait of Hormuz, even without reaching a deal on its nuclear programme.

However, Iran has set out sweeping conditions for reopening the crucial waterway, potentially making it difficult for Trump to secure a quick, face-saving end to the confrontation.

Iran sets tough conditions for reopening Hormuz

Iran's ability to restrict traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has given Tehran significant leverage in the conflict. Missile and drone attacks have disrupted commercial shipping and contributed to volatility in global oil markets.

Trump has repeatedly claimed in recent weeks that the waterway was open, but those assertions have not matched developments on the ground. Iran shut the strait after the conflict began in February and has said US warships and their allies should not be allowed to pass through.

Tehran has also sought to collect payments from commercial vessels using the route, a demand Washington has rejected along with Iran's restrictions on shipping.

The situation worsened over the weekend after the United Arab Emirates said Iran had launched a missile attack on one of its ships.

Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr subsequently laid out a broad list of demands for reopening the strait.

According to Iran's state news agency IRNA, Tehran wants the US to permanently end the war, lift its naval blockade, withdraw American forces from the region, remove sanctions, release frozen Iranian assets and pay war reparations.

Iran has also demanded an end to US threats and what it described as insults, as well as an end to American military operations against Iranian-backed groups in the region.

Trump looks for a way to claim victory

Domestic political pressure is also shaping Trump's calculations.

With less than three months before the US midterm elections and petrol prices remaining above pre-war levels, Trump faces pressure to demonstrate that the conflict has achieved its intended objectives.