---Behind talk of an imminent Hormuz deal lies a much harder question: whether Washington will accept Iran holding the keys to the world's most important oil chokepoint. Control over who inspects, charges fees to, or otherwise governs ships passing through the strait has therefore always been more than a logistical detail. Political pressure adds another layer to why a deal, even an imperfect one, may be attractive to Washington. Crude prices have fallen over the past two days after Trump called off renewed strikes on Iran, citing ongoing talks. Whether that de-escalation holds, and on what terms, may ultimately come down to whether Washington is prepared to accept a version of Iranian control over Hormuz that it has spent months publicly ruling out.