Trump instructs aides to prepare for prolonged blockade of Iran - WSJ
Kyiv • UNN
Trump ordered to prepare for prolonged blockade of Iran to pressure its nuclear program. The US rejected Tehran's conditions for unblocking the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. President Donald Trump has instructed aides to prepare for a prolonged blockade of Iran aimed at the regime's treasury, a risky attempt to force Tehran to capitulate on its nuclear program, which it has long refused to do, according to U.S. officials, The Wall Street Journal reports, per UNN.
Details
In recent meetings, including a discussion Monday in the Situation Room, Trump decided to continue exerting pressure on Iran's economy and oil exports by obstructing shipping to and from its ports, the publication writes.
According to officials, he assessed that other options—resuming bombings or withdrawing from the conflict—carry greater risks than maintaining the blockade.
As Bloomberg notes, this decision indicates that the U.S. may be moving toward a prolonged period where hostilities have largely ceased, but a long-term resolution to the conflict has not been reached, and the status of movement through the Strait of Hormuz remains uncertain.
The U.S. is blocking vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports in an attempt to squeeze oil revenues out of the country, while Iran keeps the strait closed to almost all other types of transport.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump stated that Iran had asked the U.S. to lift the naval blockade of the strait while both sides negotiate an end to the two-month war that has upended global energy supplies.
Iran has signaled it might be willing to accept a temporary deal to reopen the strait in exchange for Washington ending the blockade of Iranian ports, while postponing more complex negotiations regarding the country's nuclear program. It insists on maintaining some control over shipping through the strait, which Washington is unlikely to accept.
According to the WSJ, Trump rejected this Iranian proposal and told aides it shows Iran was not negotiating in good faith. Mediators in Pakistan expect Iran to submit a revised version of proposals to end the war within the next few days, CNN reported Tuesday, citing sources close to the mediation process.
The US and Iran are not as far apart as it seems - media28.04.26, 08:20 • 4234 views
The opposing sides began a truce around April 7, and hostilities could resume if they fail to agree on new talks following an inconclusive first round in Pakistan in mid-April.
Iran's proposal to end the war is "better than the one we thought they were going to present," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with Fox News. However, the White House has "doubts about whether the person who submitted it had the authority to do so," he said, echoing previous U.S. claims that Iran's leaders are divided over their negotiating strategy.