By Gloria Ogbonna
The United States is reportedly preparing for the possibility of a prolonged military confrontation with Iran as tensions continue to rise over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump and senior White House officials are weighing additional military options after Tehran allegedly continued threatening commercial shipping through one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes.
The latest developments follow two consecutive nights of U.S. airstrikes targeting Iranian military installations after President Trump declared on Wednesday that the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and memorandum of understanding with Tehran were effectively “over.” The announcement came after Iran allegedly launched attacks against commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes each day.
Speaking aboard Air Force One while returning from the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday night, Trump said Iran had expressed renewed interest in negotiations but questioned whether the country’s leadership could be trusted to uphold any future agreement.
“They want to make a deal so badly,” Trump said. “I just don’t know if they’re worthy of making a deal. I don’t know if they’re going to honor the deal.”
The president also warned that the United States would continue responding forcefully if Iran launched additional attacks on commercial shipping or American interests in the region.
According to Axios, administration officials are preparing for a military campaign that could last anywhere from several days to an entire month, depending on Iran’s next move. Officials reportedly believe the duration of the operation will be determined almost entirely by whether Tehran continues targeting commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
A senior U.S. official told the publication that Washington intends to demonstrate overwhelming military strength while leaving the door open for diplomacy.
“We’re going to slap them a bit so they understand we’re not messing around,” the official reportedly said, adding that the administration is prepared to patiently assess whether Iran intends to return to negotiations or continue escalating the conflict.
The New York Post also reported that while President Trump remains interested in resolving the crisis through diplomatic means, he is equally prepared to authorize broader military action if Iran continues attacking international shipping.
According to sources familiar with internal White House discussions, some administration officials have privately described the recent military operation using an informal phrase intended to emphasize the strength of America’s response. White House and Pentagon officials, however, stressed that the expression is merely unofficial language used during internal conversations and is not the operation’s official designation.
Military planners are reportedly considering several additional options should Iran refuse to halt its attacks. Among those possibilities are expanding naval operations in the Persian Gulf, strengthening the U.S. military presence in the region, and implementing a renewed naval blockade designed to protect commercial shipping and maintain freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Channel 12 reported there is currently little enthusiasm within Washington for direct Israeli participation in the latest round of military operations. Nevertheless, close coordination reportedly continues between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) as both militaries closely monitor developments across the region.
During remarks aboard Air Force One, Trump questioned Iran’s strategy of simultaneously seeking negotiations while allegedly attacking commercial vessels.
“They’re sort of crazy,” the president said. “They’re a little bit out of control.”
Despite his criticism, Trump maintained that Iranian leaders still appear interested in reaching an agreement with Washington.
The president also defended the latest American military campaign, arguing that the United States had already achieved its principal military objectives while making clear that any future attacks would trigger an even stronger response.
“We’ve already won militarily,” Trump said. “We just hit them very hard. Every time they hit us, we’re going to hit them twenty-fold.”
Trump reinforced that message in a Truth Social post Wednesday, stating that the latest strikes were carried out “in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran.” He warned Tehran that any further attacks would provoke an even more severe American response.
“If it happens again, it will get much worse!” the president wrote.
According to U.S. Central Command, American forces struck approximately 90 Iranian military targets during the latest wave of operations. The targets reportedly included air defense systems, coastal surveillance facilities, missile and drone storage sites, naval assets, and logistics infrastructure believed to support operations threatening commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM also confirmed that Tuesday night’s military operation targeted approximately 80 additional Iranian military sites after Iran allegedly attacked three commercial vessels traveling through the strategic waterway. Combined, more than 170 Iranian military targets have reportedly been struck during the two-day campaign.
Vice President JD Vance reiterated the administration’s position on Wednesday, emphasizing that the United States considers freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz a vital national and international security interest.
“If they try to close it down, there’s going to be a response from the American military,” Vance said. “They can either follow it, or they can have exactly what happened to them last night. It’s just going to keep on happening until they open up that lane and stop shooting at ships.”
Iranian officials responded with fresh warnings following the American strikes.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared, “If you strike, you’ll get hit,” while insisting that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen only under what he described as “Iranian arrangements,” not under “American threats.”
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also vowed that Iran would answer U.S. military actions “with action,” while Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned that the latest American strikes “will not go unanswered.”
Despite the increasingly heated rhetoric from both sides, U.S. officials continue to believe the conflict’s duration will depend largely on Tehran’s next decisions. While the administration maintains that diplomacy remains possible, officials say American forces are fully prepared to continue military operations for days or even weeks if Iran continues threatening commercial shipping through one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.
Source Breitbart
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