US President Donald Trump said the United States will continue its naval blockade of Iran until Tehran agrees to a deal that meets Washington’s concerns about its nuclear programme, signaling a hardening stance even as military options remain under consideration.Speaking to Axios, Trump noted that the blockade is his current preferred pressure tool, describing it as more effective than direct military action. “A siege is somewhat more effective than bombing,” he said. “They’re suffocating like a stuffed pig. It would be worse for them. They can’t have a nuclear weapon.”The American position comes amid an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz first and lift the blockade, while postponing the nuclear negotiations to a later stage, an approach that Trump rejected.
He said that Tehran was seeking to ease the blockade, but stressed that it would not be lifted without firm guarantees regarding its nuclear program.Meanwhile, US Central Command has already drawn up plans for a “short and robust” wave of strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure, according to Axios sources familiar with the matter. The strikes aim to break the current stalemate in the negotiations and push Iran to return to the negotiating table under greater pressure.
However, as of Tuesday night, Trump had not authorized any action.For now, the administration sees the blockade as its primary leverage, although officials have indicated that military action remains an option if negotiations fail to advance. Trump declined to discuss operational details but noted that the pressure campaign was already taking effect, claiming that Iran’s oil infrastructure was under pressure due to its inability to export.However, Iran has responded forcefully to the ongoing US blockade in Hormuz. A senior Iranian security source told state media that the US naval blockade “will soon be met with practical and unprecedented action,” warning that the restraint shown so far may not last if pressure continues.
