NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 22: General David H. Petraeus, U.S. Army Veteran, speaks on stage at the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit held at the Sheraton New York Times Square on September 22, 2025 in New York City. (Concordia Annual Summit Photo Credit: Riccardo Savi/Getty Images)
Riccardo Savy | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
Former CIA Director David Petraeus says Iran appears to be “blinking” across the Strait of Hormuz.
Petraeus, chairman of KKR Global Research Institute, told CNBC’s Lisa Kim at the UBS Asia Investment Conference that if the first peace deal with Iran is successful, the strait will be opened unconditionally.
Iran must also not be able to restrict traffic, charge tolls or threaten closure in the future, adding: “That seems like a possibility in the near future.”
This comes after US President Donald Trump said over the weekend that negotiations to end the war with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz were progressing, but urged the negotiating team not to rush into a deal.
Peace talks face significant hurdles because the Iranian government is insistent on stockpiling enriched uranium in the country and charging tolls across the strait.
Petraeus, a retired U.S. general who served as combat command in both Iraq and Afghanistan, said Iran could be “strategically strengthened” if allowed some control over the vital waterway, even though it is militarily weakened by U.S. and Israeli attacks.
“Except for the fast boats, the entire navy has almost sunk, its missile capabilities have been greatly reduced, and its headquarters, military facilities, air power, etc. are gone,” he said.
But Iran could threaten to block the strait by mining the waterway and attacking commercial ships with drones, missiles and high-speed boats, potentially preventing it from returning to its pre-war status.
Petraeus said the strait is a key part of the regional agreement, but other issues also need to be addressed, including Tehran’s nuclear program and funding for proxies like Hezbollah.
“They should be addressed, but it’s not at all clear to me that that will happen in the near future,” he said.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in New Delhi that a deal could be reached today, French newspaper France 24 reported.
Reuters reported that Rubio told reporters that the United States would give diplomacy every chance to succeed before exploring “alternatives.”
