US3 min(s) read
Published 15:50 05 Jun 2026 GMT
Despite his ever-changing and confusing statements about ending the war with Iran, there is one word that US President Donald Trump is too scared to ever include.
MS NOW contributor Katty Kay suggested that there is one person that Trump believes could hinder his foreign policy aims in the Middle East.
Speaking on Morning Joe, she suggested that the president’s first predecessor, Barack Obama, could be the biggest obstacle to getting his way with Iran.
Kay told co-host Willie Geis in jest that the president lives in fear of the “O word”.
She began her humorous claim by saying, “The question is, are we any closer to getting some kind of a deal after all the fits and starts that we've had out of the White House?
It seems the two big issues that remain are whether the Iranians will have any kind of control of the Strait of Hormuz. And the even bigger issue is what's to be done about Iran's nuclear program.”
Explaining how she came to this conclusion, Kay said, “I mean, Willie, it still looks like we're at the status quo ante where before the shooting started, on February 28th, Iran had a nuclear program, and it didn't control the Strait of Hormuz.
“And I think at the moment, that's the best that the administration can hope for.”
Mocking the 47th US president, Kay said, “Donald Trump seems to be terrified of the ‘O word,’ the Obama word, anything being compared that he does to the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action], which may be why there's a holdup.”
“It looks like they had got fairly close, but then he got spooked by being criticized for being weak and that this looked too much like the Iran deal from the Obama administration.”
This comes after the US and Iran have spent weeks attempting to negotiate a deal with Iran to fully reopen the strait, but talks have reportedly stalled.
While Iran initially sought to restrict access to the route, reports now suggest the country wants greater control over the passage and potentially influence over vessels traveling through it.
Just a couple of weeks ago, speculation circulated that ownership or oversight of the waterway could be shared between Iran and Oman. However, Trump firmly rejected the idea during remarks on Tuesday, May 26.
“The Strait is going to be open to everybody,” Trump claimed.
“Nobody’s going to control it. We’re going to watch over it. We’ll watch over it. But nobody’s going to control it. That’s part of the negotiation that we have.”
