U.S. President Donald Trump told Axios on April 29 that he’s going to keep Iran under a naval blockade until the government agrees to a deal that addresses U.S. concerns about its nuclear program. Trump is therefore rejecting the Iranian proposal to first open the Strait of Hormuz and lift the blockade, while postponing nuclear talks to a later stage.
Behind the scenes, Axios says, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has prepared a plan for a “short and powerful” wave of strikes on Iran in hopes of breaking the negotiating deadlock, three sources with knowledge said. After the strikes, which would likely include infrastructure targets, the U.S. would press the government to return to the negotiating table and show more flexibility.
Trump told Axios he saw the blockade as “somewhat more effective than the bombing,” and the sources said he had yet to order any kinetic action as of Tuesday night, April 28. He did post an AI-generated meme of himself holding a gun, with a warning to Iran and the tagline, “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY.”
