Trump renews Iran strike threats amid signs of diplomacy – Stars and Stripes
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine gives a news briefing at the Pentagon on May 5, 2026. President Donald Trump this week threatened to resume bombing Iran “at a much higher level and intensity” if no deal is reached to end the war. (Benjamin D. Applebaum/Defense Department)
President Donald Trump on Wednesday renewed his threats to strike Iran, one day after the White House claimed that Operation Epic Fury had ended.
In an early-morning post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Epic Fury would end and the Strait of Hormuz would reopen if Iran agrees to give “what has been agreed to,” without providing further details.
“If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before,” Trump added.
President Donald Trump addresses soldiers and family members at Fort Bragg, N.C., on Feb. 13, 2026. Trump this week threatened to resume bombing Iran even as he paused the U.S. military operation to open the Strait of Hormuz amid reported progress in negotiations. (Austin Robertson/U.S. Army)
Later Wednesday, U.S. Central Command reported U.S. forces had disabled an Iranian-flagged oil tanker that was trying to run the blockade.
The M/T Hasna was transiting the Gulf of Oman when it ignored warnings to stop. Its rudder was then disabled by several 20mm cannon rounds fired by an F/A-18 Super Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, the command said in a statement.
Earlier Wednesday, media reports suggested that the White House was nearing a deal with Iran on a one-page memo to formally end the war and establish a framework for broader negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
Axios, citing two U.S. officials and other sources briefed on the issue, reported that the proposed deal hinges on 14 points, including an Iranian commitment to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, a U.S. agreement to lift sanctions and removal of restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz by both sides.
A spokesman for Iran’s parliamentary national security committee, reacting to the Axios report, said the memo was nothing more than a wish list for Americans.
“Iran has its finger on the trigger and is ready,” Ebrahim Rezaei said in an X post. “If they do not surrender and grant the necessary concessions… we will deliver a harsh and regret-inducing response.”
For weeks, the U.S. and Iran have issued conflicting statements about the prospects for a final agreement. Even under a temporary ceasefire, Trump has repeatedly threatened to renew strikes if Iran does not agree to his terms, including surrendering its nuclear material.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has worked to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has slowed dramatically since the war began Feb. 28, driving up global fuel costs and rattling world leaders.
In an effort to pressure Iran economically, the U.S. Navy last month established its own maritime blockade aimed at preventing ships from entering or exiting Iranian ports.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters at the White House that Operation Epic Fury “is over,” saying the objectives of the offensive aspect of the operation had been achieved.
Trump administration officials have argued that the operation ended in April, an interpretation that could help avoid triggering limits under the War Powers Resolution, a law restricting prolonged military action without congressional approval.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. was pausing Project Freedom, a mission to protect commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Axios reported that the president’s decision to back off the operation was based in part on progress in negotiations.
On Wednesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump, saying the move would help advance “regional peace, stability and reconciliation during this sensitive period.”
Iran’s navy on Wednesday appeared to signal that it will control traffic through the Strait of Hormuz going forward, thanking ship captains in the Persian Gulf for complying with Iranian regulations in a post to X.
“With the end of the aggressors’ threats and in the shadow of new procedures, the possibility of safe and sustainable passage through the Strait will be provided,” the Iranian navy wrote.
Sign up to receive a daily email of today’s top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets from around the world.
Sign Up Now