US President Donald Trump rejected a proposal from Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, opting instead to maintain a naval blockade to pressure Tehran on its nuclear program, Axios reported Wednesday, Anadolu reports.
“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking,” Trump told the news outlet. “It is going to be worse for” Iran.
He claimed Iran is seeking an agreement to lift the US blockade on thr strategically important waterway.
The president dismissed the Iranian offer to unblock the vital waterway and postpone nuclear discussions, insisting that his primary goal remains preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Trump claimed that the inability to export oil has left Iranian infrastructure “close to exploding.”
While Trump views the blockade as a powerful lever, sources told Axios that US Central Command (CENTCOM) has developed plans for a “short and powerful” wave of aerial strikes to break the diplomatic stalemate if Iran does not yield.
Trump has yet to authorize kinetic action, said sources.
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