The Axios website revealed, in a report by journalist Barak Ravid, citing American officials, that the White House is preparing for a new round of confrontation with Iran that may extend for days or even weeks, after US President Donald Trump announced the end of the 60-day ceasefire, placing reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ensuring freedom of navigation at the core of his administration’s goals.
According to the report, the duration and intensity of the new confrontation will depend entirely on the next steps that Tehran will take, especially whether it will continue targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The website quoted an American official as saying that the war, which began with the aim of weakening Iran’s missile capabilities and destroying what remained of the Iranian nuclear program, has today turned into an open confrontation over the most important energy corridor in the world.
The official added that the escalation may continue “a day or two, a week or even a month,” depending on Iran’s behavior, stressing that Washington will maintain military pressure if Tehran continues to threaten international shipping.
The report indicated that Trump announced, on Wednesday, the end of the ceasefire stipulated in the US-Iranian memorandum of understanding, following the Iranian attacks that targeted commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
As a result, the United States launched a second wave of strikes in the vicinity of the Strait, including for the first time in months targeting infrastructure inside Iran, while Tehran responded by bombing American bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, confirming its adherence to what it considers its right to impose its control over the Strait.
Despite the escalation, Trump hinted that the door to negotiation had not been completely closed, declaring that Iranian officials had contacted Washington and expressed their desire to reach an agreement, but he doubted their commitment, saying: “I don’t know if they deserve an agreement, and I don’t know if they will adhere to it… Frankly, they are a little crazy.”
On the other hand, the head of the Iranian negotiating team, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, accused the United States of “bullying and breaking promises,” stressing that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz will only take place according to Iranian conditions, and warning that any attack will be met with a direct response.
The report pointed out that reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ensuring freedom of maritime navigation has become a strategic goal for the Trump administration, because of its importance in the stability of global energy markets, while Iran considers that maintaining its influence in the Strait represents one of its most important negotiating cards.
He pointed out that the dispute over the interpretation of the provisions related to the Strait in the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran was one of the most prominent reasons for the collapse of the agreement, after Iran accused the United States of violating it by directing ships to a southern corridor along the Omani coasts without its approval.
The website also quoted American officials as saying that the administration now believes that it has a wider margin for escalation, after hundreds of oil tankers were able to cross the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, which eased fears of a sharp and immediate rise in oil prices.
An American official revealed that the current escalation also reflects the dissatisfaction of hard-line movements within the Iranian leadership, after they felt that the memorandum of understanding did not achieve the economic gains they were waiting for, as oil exports continued to face difficulties despite US exemptions, and frozen Iranian funds were not released due to Tehran’s failure to implement its nuclear obligations.
The official added that the framework agreement sponsored by the United States between Lebanon and Israel made the item related to Lebanon in the US-Iranian memorandum of understanding lose its practical importance.
The report concluded by noting that US Vice President J.D. Vance confirmed that Washington’s position is “clear and simple,” saying: “The Strait of Hormuz must remain open. If Iran tries to close it, there will be a response from the US military, and this will continue until it reopens the sea lane and stops targeting commercial ships.”
