After the failure of peace talks between the United States and Iran, President Donald Trump is mulling limited military strikes on the West Asian nation in addition to a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. A fragile two-week truce was proclaimed prior to the negotiations.
“We’ve wiped out their whole country, essentially. The only thing left really is their water, which would be devastating to hit. I would hate to do it, but it’s their water, their desalination plants, their electric generating plants which are very easy to hit, we could have them all down,” he threatened while talking to Fox News on 12th April (Sunday).
Trump: "We've wiped out their whole country, essentially. The only thing left really is their water, which would be devastating to hit. I would hate to do it, but it's their water, their desalination plants, their electric generating plants which are very easy to hit, we could… pic.twitter.com/bbs9nXoagi
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) April 12, 2026
Officials and those with knowledge of the issue suggest that it is an attempt to end a deadlock in the negotiations, reported The Wall Street Journal. Trump might possibly start a full-fledged bombing assault again, but insiders indicated it was unlikely given the possibility of further destabilisation and his opposition to protracted hostilities. On the other hand, he continues to push American partners to assume responsibility for an extended military escort mission through the strait in the future but could opt for a more short-term embargo.
“The President has already ordered a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, ending the Iranian extortion, and wisely keeps all additional options on the table. Anyone who is telling The Wall Street Journal that they know what he will do next is purely speculating,” asserted White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales.
An official close to the US negotiating team stated that an offer is presently in place, while Trump declared that the Islamic regime wanted to return to the table to negotiate. Senior Iranian delegation member Reza Amiri Moghadam described the discussions as the commencement of a process.
According to US officials and other administration sources, Trump’s next course of action carries significant consequences. The return of a major conflict would further diminish vital American supplies and place him at greater risk of criticism from voters who are wary of Middle East confrontations. However, terminating the offensive while the Iranian government is still in command of the strait and has nuclear aspirations would be deemed an achievement for Tehran.
Vice President JD Vance headed the meeting which collapsed after the Iranian delegation refused to quit its nuclear program. Trump declared that one of the main reasons behind the war was to stop Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Trump’s red lines for future talks were detailed by US officials. These consist of Iran surrendering its highly enriched uranium, agreeing to a more comprehensive security framework involving regional parties, completely opening the strait without tolls for transit, ceasing all uranium enrichment and demolishing enrichment units alongside curbing the funding of its proxies like Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
