美伊霍尔木兹海峡协议为何搁浅

W , PARTNERSHIP IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND SOUTH ASIA -- SAUDI ARABIA, TURKEY, AND PAKISTAN SIGNED AN AGREEMENT SIMILAR TO NATO'S ARTICLE 5, PLEDGING THAT A STRIKE AGAINST ONE OF THEM, WOULD BE CONSIDERED A STRIKE AGAINST ALL OF THEM. BUT WHAT THERE IS NOT TODAY IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A DEAL BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND IRAN, DESPITE REPORTS IT WAS CLOSE. NICK SCHIFRIN IS HERE TO EXPLAIN WHY. LET'S START WITH THAT DEAL BETWEEN THE U.S.

AND IRAN. HOW CLOSE WAS IT? NICK: IT WAS VERY CLOSE ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS THAT TOLD ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK, IRAN AND OMAN HAD A DEAL OVER THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ THAT SHIPS ENTERING THE STRAIT WOULD USE A LINK CLOSER TO IRAN AND SHIPS LEAVING WOULD USE A LINK CLOSER TO OMAN. THERE WOULD BE NO TOLLS AND IT WOULD RESTART THE 60 DAY CLOCK AND BRING THE U.S. AND IRAN BACK TO A CEASE-FIRE. IT WAS A TEMPORARY DEAL SUPPORTED BY THE GULF COUNCIL EVEN THOUGH IT MEANT IRAN COULD HYPOTHETICALLY BLOCK THEIR IMPORTS.

SENIOR GOLF OFFICIALS TOLD ME THEY HAD NO CHOICE BECAUSE THEY FEARED IF THE U.S. ESCALATED AGAINST IRAN, THEIR FEAR WOULD BE IRAN ESCALATING AGAINST THEM. IN A CALL BETWEEN THE SAUDI CROWN PRINCE AND PRESIDENT TRUMP, A SENIOR REGIONAL OFFICIAL TELLS ME THE CROWN PRINCE PAINTED A NIGHTMARE SCENARIO ABOUT THE RISK OF ESCALATION TO THE REGION, AND TO GLOBAL ENERGY. THAT HELPED MOVE THE PRESIDENT TO WANT THIS DEAL BY MIDWEEK.

U.S. OFFICIALS THOUGHT THEY HAD WON IT WOULD RESTART THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH IRAN OVER THE NUCLEAR PROGRAM, THE FROZEN ASSETS, AND A PERMANENT SOLUTION TO THE STRAIT. AMNA: SO OFFICIALS THOUGHT THEY HAD A DEAL. WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING? NICK: THE SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL AND THREE ARAB OFFICIALS TELL ME THEY BELIEVE IRAN CHANGED ITS DEMANDS. IRANIAN NEGOTIATORS AGREED TO THE TEMPORARY DEAL BUT MEMBERS OF THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS CAME IN OVER THE TOP, DEMANDING CLEAR PROMISES OF THE U.S.

LIFT THE BLOCKADE, ALSO LIVED SANCTIONS, LET IRAN SELL A WHALE AGAIN. -- CELL -- SELL OIL AGAIN.

WE'VE SEEN THIS MOVIE FROM THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC BEFORE. WHERE YOU THINK THE DEAL IS CLOSE OR IMMINENT OR AT HAND, AND LAST MINUTE, THE PARAMETERS CHANGE, AND THE GOVERNMENT ASKED FOR MORE. THAT'S FUNDAMENTALLY IN THE NATURE OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC. BUT ULTIMATELY, THERE WAS ONE REAL REASON HERE WHY THERE IS NO DEAL AT HAND YET. AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE REGIME, MORE SO THAN EVER BEFORE, BELIEVES THAT ESCALATION, RATHER THAN ENGAGEMENT, WILL GUARANTEE ITS SURVIVAL.

AND ITS DIPLOMATIC STRATEGY IN THE SHORT AND MEDIUM TERM IS TO TRY TO FIND A WAY TO PUNISH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RATHER THAN COME TO A MODUS VIVENDI. NICK: IRAN SAYS THE BLAME IS ON THE UNITED STATES FOR WHAT IT CALLED THEATER DIPLOMACY ON LOOP . A CHIEF NEGOTIATOR WROTE ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACTS, SO FILL YOUR COMMITMENTS, WE DO NOT NEED MORE THEATER. THE FACTS BEING REFERENCE TO IRAN'S DEMAND THE LITTLE SANCTIONS. TAKE A LISTEN TO A MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP.

HE SAID THE U.S. IS INCORRECT IF IT ASSESSES IRANIAN DIVISIONS WERE MIXED M