President Trump has convened a Situation Room meeting on Tuesday to discuss a wider offensive against Iran, going beyond the current strikes concentrated around the Strait of Hormuz. According to Axios, which cited three sources with knowledge of the discussions, the meeting focused on new plans for devastating strikes on strategic targets inside Iran, in addition to the ongoing operations in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump was joined in the Situation Room by his top national security team, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and White House envoy Steve Witkoff. The meeting came as Trump appeared willing to escalate the conflict to pressure Tehran into reopening the waterway and accepting his nuclear demands.
President Trump has announced that the ceasefire with Iran is 'over' following recent military actions. According to reports from Investing.com India, Kharg Island has been targeted in the latest U.S. strikes, which controls 90% of Iran's crude oil shipments through its deep-water port facilities. The island's strategic importance has led to speculation that the U.S. may seize control of the facility, which would represent a major escalation in regional tensions and indicate that the White House is increasingly in control of world energy markets. As per Investing.com, this potential development would put tremendous economic pressure on Iran and the IRGC and represents a significant shift in U.S. policy toward controlling world energy markets.
Iran has retaliated with missiles and drones targeting US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, even as a US naval blockade on Iranian ports took effect on Tuesday afternoon. According to Axios, the US military carried out strikes for a fourth consecutive day in the Strait of Hormuz area and along Iran's southern coast, aimed largely at air defence and radar systems, anti-ship missile positions and drone launch sites. In response, Iran's armed forces, cited by state broadcaster IRIB, warned that oil and gas exports from West Asia would be 'either for everyone or for no one,' cautioning that other export routes could be shut. This represents a significant escalation in the conflict as both sides intensify their military operations.
Trump has intensified pressure on Iran to return to negotiations, warning that 'You better make a deal. You're not going to have anybody left.' According to Business Standard, Trump stated that 'You're not going to have anything left' during the latest communication between US representatives and Iranian officials, which took place 'about an hour ago.' The US President has indicated that the strikes would continue until he decides otherwise, with US military strikes on Iran having resumed the naval blockade targeting vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas. In an interview with Fox News before the Situation Room meeting, Trump said strikes would intensify in the coming days, reiterating that 'Next week, it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges. We're gonna knock out all their power plants. We're gonna knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.' Trump also said the US was monitoring activity at Pickaxe Mountain, an underground site Washington and Israel believe is linked to Iran's nuclear programme, warning that American bunker-busters 'can go deep' even as it remains unclear whether the facility is impervious to such strikes.
