The U.S. military broke its fourteen-day streak of airstrikes on Iran Friday, following reports that President Trump received operational plans for strikes inside Iranian territory but declined to authorize them. A U.S. Central Command spokesperson did not release a statement on new combat operations, marking the first lull since the conflict escalated after Iranian-backed forces killed American troops in Jordan.
The halt in bombing runs comes despite an ongoing military buildup. The Pentagon has surged special operations forces, bombers, and medical units into the region over the past week. However, a source familiar with the planning told Axios that the commander-in-chief directed the military to hold off, keeping major combat operations on standby without issuing an execute order.
“They want to make a deal. I just don't think they're ready yet, but they do want to make a deal,” Trump told reporters Friday, adding that he retains options to “knock out everything they have” or pursue a negotiated settlement. “Sometimes they don't want to say they want to make a deal. They want to be the tough guys.”
Economic nationalism considerations are central to the cooling posture. The conflict has effectively sealed the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off oil supplies and driving energy prices higher—a direct threat to American workers and domestic industry. Oman has emerged as the key intermediary, with officials traveling to Tehran to negotiate a new transit arrangement. Sources indicate progress, with a potential agreement to reopen the waterway possible within days.
Tehran’s demands remain aggressive, seeking to assert authority over the strait and impose fees on commercial shipping—a move that would hand control of a global economic chokepoint to a hostile foreign power. Any deal struck without U.S. participation would force the White House to either endorse the arrangement or openly oppose allies attempting to stabilize energy markets.
Regional escalation continues regardless. Sources confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that Bahrain and Kuwait dispatched fighter jets to strike Iran for the first time, joining Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in direct action. Meanwhile, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, threatening the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and further destabilizing global crude transit.
For American workers, the calculation is straightforward. Overseas military adventurism that disrupts petroleum supply lines imposes immediate costs at the pump and across the supply chain. A diplomatic off-ramp that reopens commerce serves national interests without ceding U.S. sovereignty to foreign lobbies pushing for perpetual war.