Prospects for long-term peace in the Middle East are under threat due to fundamental disagreements between Washington and Tehran over shipping. According to the Wall Street Journal, citing senior US officials, the Trump administration is not ruling out the possibility of renewed active hostilities in Iran. The main stumbling block is the Iranian leadership's insistence on securing exclusive control over the Strait of Hormuz. The White House emphasizes that Tehran's imposition of its own rules in this strategically important waterway is unacceptable and could force the US military to resume massive strikes against Iranian military and industrial infrastructure.

According to US government sources, Donald Trump has no intention of offering Iran any significant concessions or improved terms simply for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Washington's position remains firm: freedom of international navigation cannot be negotiated or subject to tolls, as Iran demands in its ten-point peace plan. US officials state that Tehran's attempt to monetize control of the strait and establish its own order there is viewed as a direct threat to global energy security. If Iran continues to insist on dominance in the strait, the current fragile ceasefire will collapse, and the military campaign, which the Pentagon previously declared victorious, will resume with renewed vigor.