President Donald Trump warned Thursday that he is weighing whether to annihilate the Iranian regime as two commercial vessels faced new attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. The developments come amid a naval blockade, expanded U.S. sanctions, and stalled diplomatic talks seven months into the ongoing conflict.
Trump Weighs Major Escalation as Hormuz Traffic Plummets
President Donald Trump said he was approaching a critical decision over the next phase of the conflict with Iran, raising the prospect of returning to large-scale combat operations. In an interview, Trump weighed whether to resume massive strikes or pursue another path, noting that anything could happen.
“I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them [the Iranian regime] or do I not? It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me.”
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President Donald Trump, via Axios
The deliberation follows a summer pause in major operations. According to reporting from Axios, Trump had held back from launching another round of large-scale attacks in August after Saudi Arabia and Qatar raised concerns that Iran would retaliate against Gulf energy facilities. Since then, Washington has maintained a naval blockade on Iranian ports while focusing military efforts on keeping the Strait of Hormuz open.
Commercial traffic through the vital waterway has fallen sharply. Provisional data from ship tracker Vortexa indicated that oil transiting the strait had dropped to 5 million barrels per day, down from more than 20 million barrels per day before the war, representing roughly one of every five barrels consumed globally.
Maritime tensions escalated further as multiple vessels sustained damage near the shipping chokepoint. An oil tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile and disabled approximately 9 nautical miles northeast of Oman’s Ash Shishah, according to advisory notes from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
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Concurrently, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for stopping a Togo-flagged tanker.
Despite the maritime friction, President Trump asserted that the waterway remains open to all commercial vessels not affiliated with Iran. He also reported that international waters in the strait had been cleared of mines.
“Through Space Force, we are watching every square inch of the Strait, as we are, also, with Pickaxe Mountain and the already destroyed three other Nuclear sites. There is a Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect.”
Sanctions, Economic Pressure, and Regional Resistance
On the economic front, the Treasury Department unveiled a broad expansion of sanctions targeting 60 individuals, entities, and vessels. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent introduced the measures, aiming to isolate Tehran’s economy further by threatening countries that continue trading with Iran with exclusion from the dollar-based financial system.
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The sanctions stopped short of penalizing Chinese financial institutions, a decision Bessent defended by asking why Washington would want to disrupt the global financial system. China, which has been the largest buyer of Iranian oil, maintained that its trade cooperation with Tehran is fully lawful under international law.
Inside Iran, the U.S. naval blockade and renewed sanctions have produced severe economic strain. Observers noted that fuel lines stretching two to three miles have formed at Iranian gas stations, while currency devaluation and inflation mount. In response to the expanded sanctions, Iranian Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh warned that the country’s defense is no longer purely defensive, urging adversaries to expect retaliation.
Efforts to establish regional control over the strait have likewise stalled. A reported agreement between Iran and Oman intended to establish toll collection and revenue sharing lacks final approval from Iranian leadership and remains subject to the U.S. blockade, according to American officials. Trump previously threatened severe retaliation against Oman should any such toll pact be finalized.
Trump threatens to target energy plants as Iran launches attacks on Strait of Hormuz ships
With formal peace negotiations currently frozen, the White House plans to maintain current military force postures in the Middle East through the end of the year. President Trump is scheduled to meet with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the trajectory of the war and the security of regional energy infrastructure.
