Talks To Reopen The Strait Of Hormuz Appear To Be Making Progress. But Most Americans Expect Chaos To Expand In The Middle East.

Most Americans expect chaos in the Middle East to expand as a result of the war in Iran even as talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz appear to be making progress, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by Reuters, showed that fifty percent of respondents said the war will cause more instability in the region in the next year, while less than two in ten (17%) expect it to bring more stability. 16% said it will stay the same and 17% they were unsure or didn't want to answer.

Figures varied depending on respondents' party affiliation. Over four in ten Republicans (41%) said the war will bring more stability, compared to 21% who believe otherwise. 24% said it will stay the same. In contrast, 80% of Democratic respondents said the scenario will get worse next year, and only 3% said it will get better. Independents were in the middle, with 49% saying it will get worse. 10% said it will get better and 16% that it will stay the same.

Talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz continue in the meantime, with both Iran and the U.S. expressing optimism about the state of negotiations.

President Donald Trump said talks are "working out quite well," but again warned strikes could resume if they fail. "We are ready to go," he said.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, on his end, said the U.S. is ready to "return to commitments."

He did not elaborate, but was likely referring to the memorandum of understanding sign between the countries in mid June, where Iran agreed to allow for the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz without collecting fees for 60 days. The U.S. had made different commitments of its own, including the blockade of Iranian ports.

Gharibabadi also said current negotiations involving navigation through the waterway are taking place between Iran and Oman, and "no negotiations with the US have taken place during this period."

He noted that an "understanding" between the countries about navigation was close to being finalized, with Tehran saying that "old routes no longer meet the current difficult conditions that have jeopardized the national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei had also said that a deal was close provided that "some third parties do not obstruct work in this regard."

Reuters reported on Tuesday that Tehran is seeking to control inbound shipping through the Hormuz Strait and have oversight over outbound traffic.