White House signals more Iran strikes possible as Hormuz tanker attacks persist
The White House signalled on Friday that President Donald Trump is considering additional military strikes against Iran, as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz continue to escalate. The United States is pressing Tehran to reopen the strategic waterway and adhere to a truce agreement that was signed last month but quickly fell apart.
There were no U.S. strikes reported overnight. However, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it struck two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, and Kuwait reported that it had intercepted drones. The incidents add to a series of confrontations in a region vital to global oil shipments.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed renewed frustration with Tehran, accusing it of breaking the truce, firing on commercial vessels, and killing American soldiers. In a statement, she said: “President Trump is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behaviour to occur. Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way.”
Earlier on Friday, Trump told reporters during a cabinet meeting at Camp David that he expected U.S. military action to continue. “We just want to win in Iran,” he said. “We'll be hitting them very hard. You know, at some point they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore.'”
The truce agreement between Washington and Tehran was intended to reduce hostilities, but both sides have accused each other of violating its terms. Leavitt's warning signals that the administration is weighing a more forceful approach to compel Iran to come to the negotiating table on U.S. terms.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial chokepoint for the world's energy supply, with roughly one-fifth of global oil production passing through its waters. The recent attacks on merchant vessels have raised concerns about the security of maritime traffic and the potential for a wider regional conflict that could affect global markets.
In a separate development, Hamas confirmed on Friday that it will disarm, potentially paving the way for an end to the war in Gaza. However, major obstacles remain, and the announcement's impact on broader regional diplomacy is not yet clear.
