On Apr. 7, the United States agreed to a two week ceasefire in order to facilitate peace talks with Iran, but negotiations quickly broke down. Shortly after, the U.S. announced that they would begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz from ships stopping at Iranian ports. Though President Trump’s original projections for the war was only two to three weeks, the fighting has long exceeded that length.
As the conflict has dragged on, the shocks to global markets have been profound. Many countries rely almost entirely on the Middle East for oil, and its export disruptions have thrown a wrench into everyday life. In the Philippines, for example, the government has mandated rationing of gas as prices have soared. In Ireland, high fuel prices have led farmers to block roads around the country with the tractors in protest. And though most U.S. gas is produced domestically, gas prices have risen more than a dollar per gallon since the beginning of the war.
In an attempt to bring an end to the war, Trump began to issue strong threats to Iran if a deal hadn’t been reached by the first Tuesday in April.
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day…open the strait you [expletive], you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell… Praise be to Allah,” Trump posted on Easter Sunday.
And as the deadline neared without any signs from Iran of making a deal, President Trump escalated his threats.
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” Trump posted. “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will… we will find out tonight, in one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World.”
At the eleventh hour, Trump announced that Iran had agreed to a two-week ceasefire for negotiations to take place.
Shortly after, Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan to negotiate with Iran. Among their demands was the complete end to Iran’s nuclear program and an end to the blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian delegation was led by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Their 10-point plan for the U.S. included letting Iran maintain control of the strait to charge tolls; an end to fighting against Iran’s allies, like Hezbollah, who has been fighting with Israel in Lebanon even during the ceasefire; U.S. withdrawal from all Middle Eastern military bases; an end to all sanctions on Iran; and letting Iran produce enriched uranium. After 21 hours of talks, the U.S. announced that they were unable to reach an agreement.
Then, President Trump announced that along with Iran, who was already blockading the strait, the U.S. would also be blockading the strait. Their stated aim was to stop ships from leaving the strait with Iranian oil. Since the start of the blockade, several Iranian ships have been turned around, though some Chinese ships stopping at Iranian ports have passed through the strait without issue. Seemingly, Trump was not willing to target these ships. Even before the war, China has defied sanctions by being the main purchaser of Iranian oil.
On the homefront, the response from Republicans has been mostly silent. Congressional Republicans appear to be distancing themselves from the war as its perception continues to sour with the general public. Though, their loyalties to Trump may soon be tested as he has requested a record breaking 1.5 trillion for defense spending, more than a 40 percent increase. He plans to partially accomplish this through large cuts to environmental, educational, and rural programs. However, this budget would still require approval from congress.
Article by Oscar Guillemin