Trump is an ignorant man. Middle Eastern politics is extremely complex. Trump understands nothing about it. It would have been much smarter if Trump had tried to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine instead of starting yet another war in the Middle East. — © Mark Alexander
Showing posts with label Iran War. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iran War. Show all posts
Friday, June 12, 2026
Iran's Military Response Explained
Trump is an ignorant man. Middle Eastern politics is extremely complex. Trump understands nothing about it. It would have been much smarter if Trump had tried to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine instead of starting yet another war in the Middle East. — © Mark Alexander
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
World Blames Trump as Iran ‘Made a Superpower’ with Strait of Hormuz Control
Jun 10, 2026 | “Looking at the price at the pump, not only in America but globally, all of them are blaming the US.”
The US needs to de-escalate the war at this point in order to keep the ceasefire alive and bring down the price of oil, says retired lieutenant general Russel L. Honoré.
Trump is an ignorant, incompetent president. This is a mess of his own making. — © Mark Alexander
The US needs to de-escalate the war at this point in order to keep the ceasefire alive and bring down the price of oil, says retired lieutenant general Russel L. Honoré.
Trump is an ignorant, incompetent president. This is a mess of his own making. — © Mark Alexander
US Strikes Iran in Response to Downing of Military Helicopter | BBC News
Jun 10, 2026 | The US says it has carried out a series of strikes on Iranian military and surveillance sites in response to the downing of an American helicopter in the Gulf. Air defence systems, ground control stations and radar sites were targeted near the Strait of Hormuz, the US military Central Command (Centcom) said.
In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched strikes on 21 targets at US bases in the region, one in Bahrain and the other in Jordan, while Kuwait's army said it was also intercepting an attack.
The US has described its strikes as "a proportional response" for the Apache helicopter downing on Monday, while the IRGC described the attacks as "vicious".
US President Donald Trump had earlier accused Iran of shooting down the helicopter and said the US "must, of necessity" respond. The two crew members survived and were rescued by an American sea drone.
In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched strikes on 21 targets at US bases in the region, one in Bahrain and the other in Jordan, while Kuwait's army said it was also intercepting an attack.
The US has described its strikes as "a proportional response" for the Apache helicopter downing on Monday, while the IRGC described the attacks as "vicious".
US President Donald Trump had earlier accused Iran of shooting down the helicopter and said the US "must, of necessity" respond. The two crew members survived and were rescued by an American sea drone.
Tuesday, June 09, 2026
'A Game of Snakes and Ladders’ - Iran Official on US Negotiations
Democracy Now! Iran Warns Israel over Attacks on Lebanon after Iran, Israel Exchange Strikes: Trita Parsi
Jun 8, 2026 | Iran and Israel exchanged fire overnight in the most serious escalation since a U.S.-Iranian truce was reached in April. Iran launched a wave of missiles at northern Israel in retaliation for Israeli attacks near Beirut on Sunday. Israel responded with attacks on Iran, with explosions reported in Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan. This comes as peace talks appear stalled between the United States and Iran, largely over Iran's insistence that any agreement must include Lebanon and halt Israel's attacks on that country. President Donald Trump has also repeatedly expressed frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and reports from NBC News and The New York Times indicate the Pentagon is growing increasingly concerned over Israel spying on U.S. officials.
"I was not surprised by the Iranian attack on Israel," says analyst Trita Parsi, who notes that Iran's leaders want to "extend their deterrence" to Lebanon. "What is perhaps a bit surprising is … that the Israelis defied Trump's expressed wishes."
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
"I was not surprised by the Iranian attack on Israel," says analyst Trita Parsi, who notes that Iran's leaders want to "extend their deterrence" to Lebanon. "What is perhaps a bit surprising is … that the Israelis defied Trump's expressed wishes."
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
Trump Tells BBC: “If I Tell Netanyahu to Do Something, He Does It” | BBC News
Jun 8, 2026 | The US President Donald Trump has told the BBC that if he tells Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to do something, he does it”.
The president was speaking to the BBC’s North America Editor Sarah Smith in a telephone interview, following the recent new round of hostilities between Israel and Iran.
Israel had launched attacks on Iran’s capital Tehran on Sunday, in apparent defiance of a demand from the White House to comply with the fragile ceasefire in force since April. Israel said the action was in retaliation for attacks by the Iranian backed Hezbollah militia group in Southern Lebanon. Iran responded to the airstrikes by firing multiple missiles at Israel, the first such attack since April.
Hours before Israel launched its attacks, President Trump had declared “I call the shots” and had instructed Benjamin Netanyahu to comply with the ceasefire. The President told the BBC that Israel had already launched its attacks, at the time when he had requested that Israel exercise restraint.
Donald Trump said he had persuaded Mr Netanyahu to return to the ceasefire, telling him: “We have to use sense. We’re very close to signing a very good deal” with Iran.
Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Sarah Smith, Wyre Davies and Jeremy Bowen.
The president was speaking to the BBC’s North America Editor Sarah Smith in a telephone interview, following the recent new round of hostilities between Israel and Iran.
Israel had launched attacks on Iran’s capital Tehran on Sunday, in apparent defiance of a demand from the White House to comply with the fragile ceasefire in force since April. Israel said the action was in retaliation for attacks by the Iranian backed Hezbollah militia group in Southern Lebanon. Iran responded to the airstrikes by firing multiple missiles at Israel, the first such attack since April.
Hours before Israel launched its attacks, President Trump had declared “I call the shots” and had instructed Benjamin Netanyahu to comply with the ceasefire. The President told the BBC that Israel had already launched its attacks, at the time when he had requested that Israel exercise restraint.
Donald Trump said he had persuaded Mr Netanyahu to return to the ceasefire, telling him: “We have to use sense. We’re very close to signing a very good deal” with Iran.
Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Sarah Smith, Wyre Davies and Jeremy Bowen.
Friday, June 05, 2026
Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar Suddenly Back Iran amid Regional Pressure Crisis
Wednesday, June 03, 2026
The House Votes to End the Iran War, in a Bipartisan Rebuke to Trump.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The House on Wednesday voted to direct President Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran or win approval from Congress to continue the war, after four Republicans sided with Democrats in a striking sign of growing opposition to a military campaign now in its fourth month.
Adoption of the resolution was a remarkable rebuke to Mr. Trump and his handling of the war, after he has repeatedly dismissed any effort by Congress to curb his power and as the G.O.P. has largely ceded its prerogatives to do so, deferring to him time and again. Republicans had abruptly postponed the vote two weeks ago, recognizing that they did not have sufficient votes to defeat the measure and wanting to spare themselves and the president the affront. » | Robert Jimison and Megan Mineiro | Reporting from Washington | Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Adoption of the resolution was a remarkable rebuke to Mr. Trump and his handling of the war, after he has repeatedly dismissed any effort by Congress to curb his power and as the G.O.P. has largely ceded its prerogatives to do so, deferring to him time and again. Republicans had abruptly postponed the vote two weeks ago, recognizing that they did not have sufficient votes to defeat the measure and wanting to spare themselves and the president the affront. » | Robert Jimison and Megan Mineiro | Reporting from Washington | Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Monday, June 01, 2026
Iran Pulls Out of Peace Talks with US
THE TELEGRAPH: Iran has pulled out of peace talks with the US following continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon, Tehran’s state media reported.
“Given the continuation of the Zionist regime’s crimes in Lebanon, and considering that Lebanon was among the preconditions of the ceasefire, which has now been violated on all fronts ... the Iranian negotiating team is suspending talks,” Tasnim said.
The state media outlet, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, also warned that Iran would block the Strait of Hormuz again and “activate other fronts, including the Bab El-Mandeb Strait”.
Tehran had warned that a truce in Lebanon was a precondition for securing any peace deal with the US, and the suspension of negotiations marks a dramatic collapse of nearly two months of talks. The decision came after Benjamin Netanyahu ordered fresh strikes against Beirut on Monday. LIVE » | Lily Shanagher. Emily Smith | Monday, June 1, 2026
“Given the continuation of the Zionist regime’s crimes in Lebanon, and considering that Lebanon was among the preconditions of the ceasefire, which has now been violated on all fronts ... the Iranian negotiating team is suspending talks,” Tasnim said.
The state media outlet, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, also warned that Iran would block the Strait of Hormuz again and “activate other fronts, including the Bab El-Mandeb Strait”.
Tehran had warned that a truce in Lebanon was a precondition for securing any peace deal with the US, and the suspension of negotiations marks a dramatic collapse of nearly two months of talks. The decision came after Benjamin Netanyahu ordered fresh strikes against Beirut on Monday. LIVE » | Lily Shanagher. Emily Smith | Monday, June 1, 2026
Sunday, May 31, 2026
Trump Hits the Stalemate Phase of His International Interventions, and It Stings
THE NEW YORK TIMES: In Ukraine, Gaza and now Iran, President Trump’s early declarations of easy wins have given way to harsh reality.
President Trump likes his military and diplomatic victories quick, clean and decisive.
On his desk in the Oval Office, he keeps models of the B-2 bombers that took out three Iranian nuclear sites in one night, not quite a year ago. In the opening weeks of the Iran conflict this year, he talked often about replicating his success in Venezuela — “the perfect scenario,’’ he said — shorthand for overthrowing a troublesome leader with one quick commando raid, and replacing him with a pliant, American-friendly successor.
But now, Mr. Trump has hit the stalemate phase of his presidency.
The war with Iran is clearly at that stage. When he declared a cease-fire on April 7, Mr. Trump said on social media that the end of combat operations would be conditional on “the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.” It wasn’t. Even if commerce now resumes across the strait under a memorandum of understanding still under negotiation, it will still leave the future of Iran’s nuclear and missile programs exactly where they were in February: stuck in a further negotiation that the administration insists will be “time limited,” probably to 60 days.
But the Iranians sense Mr. Trump’s deep reluctance to restart combat operations that are deeply unpopular in the United States, and most Iran experts say they expect Tehran to try to stretch the negotiations for months or years — as they have with past administrations. » | David E. Sanger | David E. Sanger has covered five American presidents over four decades at the Times, and writes often on the revival of superpower conflict, the subject of his latest book. | Sunday, May 31, 2026
President Trump likes his military and diplomatic victories quick, clean and decisive.
On his desk in the Oval Office, he keeps models of the B-2 bombers that took out three Iranian nuclear sites in one night, not quite a year ago. In the opening weeks of the Iran conflict this year, he talked often about replicating his success in Venezuela — “the perfect scenario,’’ he said — shorthand for overthrowing a troublesome leader with one quick commando raid, and replacing him with a pliant, American-friendly successor.
But now, Mr. Trump has hit the stalemate phase of his presidency.
The war with Iran is clearly at that stage. When he declared a cease-fire on April 7, Mr. Trump said on social media that the end of combat operations would be conditional on “the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.” It wasn’t. Even if commerce now resumes across the strait under a memorandum of understanding still under negotiation, it will still leave the future of Iran’s nuclear and missile programs exactly where they were in February: stuck in a further negotiation that the administration insists will be “time limited,” probably to 60 days.
But the Iranians sense Mr. Trump’s deep reluctance to restart combat operations that are deeply unpopular in the United States, and most Iran experts say they expect Tehran to try to stretch the negotiations for months or years — as they have with past administrations. » | David E. Sanger | David E. Sanger has covered five American presidents over four decades at the Times, and writes often on the revival of superpower conflict, the subject of his latest book. | Sunday, May 31, 2026
Saturday, May 30, 2026
Why the US and Iran Struggle to Reach a Ceasefire Extension | DW News
Trump is such a great dealmaker, isn’t he? This must be the art of no deal! Fact is, this is a HUGE MESS of Trump’s own making! If only he had left things alone! — Mark
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Global Supply Shortages Deepen, Threatening Jobs and Growth
THE NEW YORK TIMES: After three months, the fallout of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is spreading, with developing countries bearing the brunt of the shortfall.
At the onset of the war in the Middle East, industry officials and experts warned that the closure of one of the world’s most vital maritime waterways would trigger acute shortages of oil, gas and other critical commodities. Three months into the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, those warnings are materializing across the globe.
Before the war, roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne crude oil and a fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas passed through the strait. The region is also among the world’s largest suppliers of products derived from oil and gas, including fertilizer and naphtha, a liquid used in everything from plastic wrap to industrial inks.
Much of the world has largely experienced the crisis through price shocks. Physical supply shortages have afflicted economies across Asia. Developing countries everywhere, especially in Asia, have been hit the hardest, as shortfalls of oil, gas and their derivatives have strained everything from farming and cooking to medical imaging. Governments across the region have rationed power, drawn down emergency stockpiles and scrambled for alternative supplies.
“It’s not just a price shock, it’s explicit shortages,” said Krishna Srinivasan, a director at the International Monetary Fund. “In the context of shortages, industry scales back, people lose their jobs, and this has a secondary impact on growth,” Mr. Srinivasan said. » | River Akira Davis, Catie Edmondson, Eshe Nelson, Peter S. Goodman and Suhasini Raj | River Akira Davis reported from Tokyo, Catie Edmondson from Seoul, Eshe Nelson from London, Peter S. Goodman from New York and Suhasini Raj from New Delhi. | Wednesday, May 27, 2026
At the onset of the war in the Middle East, industry officials and experts warned that the closure of one of the world’s most vital maritime waterways would trigger acute shortages of oil, gas and other critical commodities. Three months into the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, those warnings are materializing across the globe.
Before the war, roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne crude oil and a fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas passed through the strait. The region is also among the world’s largest suppliers of products derived from oil and gas, including fertilizer and naphtha, a liquid used in everything from plastic wrap to industrial inks.
Much of the world has largely experienced the crisis through price shocks. Physical supply shortages have afflicted economies across Asia. Developing countries everywhere, especially in Asia, have been hit the hardest, as shortfalls of oil, gas and their derivatives have strained everything from farming and cooking to medical imaging. Governments across the region have rationed power, drawn down emergency stockpiles and scrambled for alternative supplies.
“It’s not just a price shock, it’s explicit shortages,” said Krishna Srinivasan, a director at the International Monetary Fund. “In the context of shortages, industry scales back, people lose their jobs, and this has a secondary impact on growth,” Mr. Srinivasan said. » | River Akira Davis, Catie Edmondson, Eshe Nelson, Peter S. Goodman and Suhasini Raj | River Akira Davis reported from Tokyo, Catie Edmondson from Seoul, Eshe Nelson from London, Peter S. Goodman from New York and Suhasini Raj from New Delhi. | Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Sunday, May 24, 2026
Trump Claims Peace Deal with Iran ‘Largely Negotiated’ with Strait of Hormuz to Open
THE GUARDIAN: President’s claim is tempered by Pakistani PM’s hopes of hosting more talks ‘very soon’, and Iran’s Fars news agency saying strait of Hormuz will remain under Iranian control
Donald Trump claimed on Saturday that a peace deal with Iran “has been largely negotiated”, after calls with a Pakistani mediator, Gulf allies and Israel, potentially paving the way for an end to the war launched by the US and Israel in February.
Trump wrote on his social media platform that “final aspects and details” of a “memorandum of understanding” were still being discussed and “will be announced shortly”, but said the strait of Hormuz would be opened as part of the deal.
“An agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries,” Trump posted.
However, Iran’s Fars news agency, which is close to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that the strait of Hormuz would remain under Iranian control, a red line for the US. The news agency reported on Telegram that “the management of the Strait, determining the route, time, method of passage, and issuing permits will continue to be the monopoly and discretion of the Islamic Republic of Iran”. » | José Olivares and Robert Mackey | Sunday, May 24, 2026
More BULLSHIT from the Bullshitter-in-Chief! In any case, the world wouldn’t be in this sorry mess if it hadn’t been for his extremely poor judgment and stupidity! — © Mark Alexander
Donald Trump claimed on Saturday that a peace deal with Iran “has been largely negotiated”, after calls with a Pakistani mediator, Gulf allies and Israel, potentially paving the way for an end to the war launched by the US and Israel in February.
Trump wrote on his social media platform that “final aspects and details” of a “memorandum of understanding” were still being discussed and “will be announced shortly”, but said the strait of Hormuz would be opened as part of the deal.
“An agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries,” Trump posted.
However, Iran’s Fars news agency, which is close to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that the strait of Hormuz would remain under Iranian control, a red line for the US. The news agency reported on Telegram that “the management of the Strait, determining the route, time, method of passage, and issuing permits will continue to be the monopoly and discretion of the Islamic Republic of Iran”. » | José Olivares and Robert Mackey | Sunday, May 24, 2026
More BULLSHIT from the Bullshitter-in-Chief! In any case, the world wouldn’t be in this sorry mess if it hadn’t been for his extremely poor judgment and stupidity! — © Mark Alexander
Friday, May 22, 2026
Trump's Failure in Iran Has Turned US into a Global 'Loser' | Professor Robert Pape
Trump is a failed president! — © Mark Alexander
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Jesse Dollemore: Trump Announces He’s Taking Orders from Saudi Arabia
TW: Very strong language alert!
The Trump presidency is nothing but a SHITSHOW! — © Mark Alexander
Early War Goal Was to Install Hard Line Former President as Iran’s Leader
THE NEW YORK TIMES: An Israeli strike designed to free Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from house arrest in Tehran, U.S. officials said, was part of an effort to bring about regime change and put him in power.
This image comes from this NYT article. | Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran registering as a candidate in the presidential election in Tehran in 2024. | Arash Khamooshi/Polaris for The New York Times
Days after Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader and other top officials in the opening salvos of the war, President Trump mused publicly that it would be best if “someone from within” Iran took over the country.
It turns out that the United States and Israel went into the conflict with a particular and very surprising someone in mind: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former Iranian president known for his hard-line, anti-Israel and anti-American views.
But the audacious plan, developed by the Israelis and which Mr. Ahmadinejad had been consulted about, quickly went awry, according to the U.S. officials who were briefed on it.
Mr. Ahmadinejad was injured on the war’s first day by an Israeli strike at his home in Tehran that had been designed to free him from house arrest, the American officials and an associate of Mr. Ahmadinejad said. He survived the strike, they said, but after the near miss he became disillusioned with the regime change plan.
He has not been seen publicly since then and his current whereabouts and condition are unknown. » | Mark Mazzetti, Julian E. Barnes, Farnaz Fassihi and Ronen Bergman | The reporters have been covering the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. | Published: Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Updated: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
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Days after Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader and other top officials in the opening salvos of the war, President Trump mused publicly that it would be best if “someone from within” Iran took over the country.
It turns out that the United States and Israel went into the conflict with a particular and very surprising someone in mind: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former Iranian president known for his hard-line, anti-Israel and anti-American views.
But the audacious plan, developed by the Israelis and which Mr. Ahmadinejad had been consulted about, quickly went awry, according to the U.S. officials who were briefed on it.
Mr. Ahmadinejad was injured on the war’s first day by an Israeli strike at his home in Tehran that had been designed to free him from house arrest, the American officials and an associate of Mr. Ahmadinejad said. He survived the strike, they said, but after the near miss he became disillusioned with the regime change plan.
He has not been seen publicly since then and his current whereabouts and condition are unknown. » | Mark Mazzetti, Julian E. Barnes, Farnaz Fassihi and Ronen Bergman | The reporters have been covering the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. | Published: Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Updated: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Leer en español.
阅读简体中文版
閱讀繁體中文版
Monday, May 18, 2026
The Iran War Is Crippling One of the World’s Wealthiest Nations
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Iranian attacks and the stoppage of seaborne transit have paralyzed Qatar’s vital gas exports, stalling the economic pivots intended to anchor the country’s growth.
Screenshot taken from this NYT article. | Qatar has tried to transform itself into a tourist destination and a hub for international business and finance. | Mahmud Hams/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
In Qatar, a desert peninsula protruding into the Persian Gulf, natural gas turned the country from a pearl-diving backwater into one of the world’s wealthiest nations.
Qatar spent three decades building supply lines, shipping tens of billions of dollars of liquefied natural gas each year through the Strait of Hormuz to ports across Asia and Europe.
The state, which derives more than 60 percent of its revenue from gas and gas-related exports, used that money to transform the peninsula into a gleaming metropolis. Unpaved desert roads were replaced by monolithic corporate skyscrapers, at the base of which irrigation systems water perennial blankets of grass and fuchsia flowers.
Gas wealth funded a metro system linking the capital, Doha, to Lusail, a northern city that is home to a Parisian-style mall and a theme park with artificial snow. The riches were also funneled into the world’s most expensive World Cup, and a $600 billion sovereign wealth fund with stakes in everything from Heathrow Airport in London to the Empire State Building in New York.
Then, in February, Qatar’s door to the world slammed shut.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz means virtually no gas has left Qatar’s shore for more than two months. The nation is also cut off from the sea routes through which it imports everything from vehicles to produce. Fears of regional instability have hurt tourism and eroded business sentiment. » | River Akira Davis | Reporting from Doha, Qatar | Sunday, May 17, 2026
In Qatar, a desert peninsula protruding into the Persian Gulf, natural gas turned the country from a pearl-diving backwater into one of the world’s wealthiest nations.
Qatar spent three decades building supply lines, shipping tens of billions of dollars of liquefied natural gas each year through the Strait of Hormuz to ports across Asia and Europe.
The state, which derives more than 60 percent of its revenue from gas and gas-related exports, used that money to transform the peninsula into a gleaming metropolis. Unpaved desert roads were replaced by monolithic corporate skyscrapers, at the base of which irrigation systems water perennial blankets of grass and fuchsia flowers.
Gas wealth funded a metro system linking the capital, Doha, to Lusail, a northern city that is home to a Parisian-style mall and a theme park with artificial snow. The riches were also funneled into the world’s most expensive World Cup, and a $600 billion sovereign wealth fund with stakes in everything from Heathrow Airport in London to the Empire State Building in New York.
Then, in February, Qatar’s door to the world slammed shut.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz means virtually no gas has left Qatar’s shore for more than two months. The nation is also cut off from the sea routes through which it imports everything from vehicles to produce. Fears of regional instability have hurt tourism and eroded business sentiment. » | River Akira Davis | Reporting from Doha, Qatar | Sunday, May 17, 2026
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Truce Hangs in the Balance as U.S. and Iran Trade Warnings
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the U.S. military could escalate the war “if necessary.” An Iranian official raised the prospect of increasing nuclear enrichment if it were attacked again.
A month-old cease-fire in Iran looked increasingly fragile on Tuesday as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States had “a plan to escalate, if necessary,” a day after President Trump dismissed an Iranian proposal to end the war as “garbage.”
Mr. Hesgeth, speaking at a congressional hearing on the Pentagon’s budget request, said the U.S. military had several options in the Middle East, including pulling back or shifting assets, but he declined to describe the administration’s next step.
Iran’s state-owned broadcaster reported on Monday that Tehran’s demands to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz included U.S. war reparations, recognition of its sovereignty over the strait and an end to American sanctions. Hours later, Mr. Trump said in the Oval Office that Tehran was in the grip of “lunatics.”
Mr. Trump has said that he wants a swift end to the war and a reopening of the strait, but Iran appears to be testing how far he is willing to go to secure those goals. Its demands suggest it could be betting that the economic pain from soaring energy prices will force him to make concessions.
Iran’s demands for reparations and sovereignty over the strait would almost certainly be non-starters for the United States. Ending sanctions, meanwhile, would be possible for the Trump administration only if Iran were willing to make major concessions on its nuclear program.
Ebrahim Rezaei, a spokesman for the national security committee in Iran’s Parliament, warned Tuesday that Tehran could consider enriching uranium to 90 percent purity, a level considered weapons grade, if it was attacked again. It was unclear how seriously Iran was considering such a move, and Mr. Rezaei said only that Parliament could review the option. Iran War Live Updates » | Euan Ward and Megan Mineiro | Tuesday, May 12, 2026
A month-old cease-fire in Iran looked increasingly fragile on Tuesday as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States had “a plan to escalate, if necessary,” a day after President Trump dismissed an Iranian proposal to end the war as “garbage.”
Mr. Hesgeth, speaking at a congressional hearing on the Pentagon’s budget request, said the U.S. military had several options in the Middle East, including pulling back or shifting assets, but he declined to describe the administration’s next step.
Iran’s state-owned broadcaster reported on Monday that Tehran’s demands to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz included U.S. war reparations, recognition of its sovereignty over the strait and an end to American sanctions. Hours later, Mr. Trump said in the Oval Office that Tehran was in the grip of “lunatics.”
Mr. Trump has said that he wants a swift end to the war and a reopening of the strait, but Iran appears to be testing how far he is willing to go to secure those goals. Its demands suggest it could be betting that the economic pain from soaring energy prices will force him to make concessions.
Iran’s demands for reparations and sovereignty over the strait would almost certainly be non-starters for the United States. Ending sanctions, meanwhile, would be possible for the Trump administration only if Iran were willing to make major concessions on its nuclear program.
Ebrahim Rezaei, a spokesman for the national security committee in Iran’s Parliament, warned Tuesday that Tehran could consider enriching uranium to 90 percent purity, a level considered weapons grade, if it was attacked again. It was unclear how seriously Iran was considering such a move, and Mr. Rezaei said only that Parliament could review the option. Iran War Live Updates » | Euan Ward and Megan Mineiro | Tuesday, May 12, 2026
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