WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has officially terminated the 60-day ceasefire with Iran and initiated a new phase of military operations centered on the Strait of Hormuz, with U.S. officials signaling operations could extend for weeks depending on Tehran's response.
The escalation follows Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the strategic waterway, which handles roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments. A U.S. official confirmed the renewed strikes target infrastructure inside Iran for the first time in months. "We're going to slap them a bit so they understand we're not f*cking around," the official said.
Iran Retaliates Against U.S. Bases
Iranian forces responded by striking American military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain, while Tehran's top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared the strait would only reopen under "Iranian arrangements." The tit-for-tat exchanges have effectively collapsed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) that established the original truce.
Central to the breakdown is a dispute over shipping lane routing. Iranian officials accuse Washington of violating the MOU by directing tankers through a southern lane near the Omani coast without Tehran's consent. For the administration, restoring unimpeded commercial transit has become the primary operational objective to stabilize energy markets and protect American economic interests.
Economic Calculations Shape Strategy
Administration officials believe they retain escalatory flexibility because hundreds of oil tankers successfully departed the Gulf through the strait in recent weeks, temporarily mitigating fears of an immediate crude price shock at American gas pumps. This buffer has emboldened White House planners to pursue a more aggressive posture.
Despite sanctions waivers included in the now-defunct framework, Iran has failed to monetize its oil exports. Financial institutions remain unwilling to process transactions, and foreign buyers have balked at relying on temporary waivers. No frozen Iranian funds have been released, as Tehran has not completed required nuclear steps under the agreement.
"I just don't know if they're worthy of making a deal. I don't know that they're going to honor the deal. They're sort of crazy, to be honest." — President Trump
Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, indicated Iranian officials had reached out seeking renewed negotiations but expressed skepticism about Tehran's reliability as a negotiating partner. The White House views the fractured nature of Iran's leadership as a contributing factor to the current escalation, with harder-line elements frustrated by the MOU's failure to deliver tangible benefits.
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz and securing freedom of navigation for commercial shipping has become the administration's central demand before any future diplomatic engagement can resume.