President Trump won’t lift the Strait of Hormuz blockade until Iran handles his concerns over its nuclear program. (Axios)
Trump has nixed Iran’s recent proposal, which would reopen the critical waterway while delaying talks on the country’s nuclear program (he shared his thoughts on the matter with an AI-generated meme). Now, he sees the blockade as his most powerful tool—on Tuesday, he met with oil & gas execs over the possibility of this play lasting months.
Behind the scenes, US Central Command has reportedly prepped a short, intense wave of strikes on Iran—likely targeting infrastructure—as a fallback to break the deadlock. Meanwhile, Iranian state media warned the blockade will soon prompt an “unprecedented” response from its armed forces.