Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David, Trump said he was losing confidence in Iranian negotiators because they had misrepresented their intentions. He indicated that Washington was preparing to strike Iran harder unless Tehran accepted terms the White House regarded as meaningful.
“We just want to win,” Trump told reporters, adding that sustained pressure would eventually force Iran to conclude that it could no longer withstand the campaign. His comments marked a sharp reversal from the optimism he expressed earlier in the week, when he described indirect contacts with Tehran as productive and said an agreement remained possible.
The White House said Iran had violated a truce memorandum by attacking commercial vessels and US personnel. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tehran would continue to face military punishment until it returned to negotiations on terms acceptable to Trump.
Iran has disputed Washington’s account of the diplomatic process. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said messages continued to pass through intermediaries but rejected suggestions that Tehran had requested formal peace talks. Iranian officials have accused the US of using negotiations to secure a pause before launching additional attacks.
Washington and Tehran reached a framework in June for discussions expected to address Iran’s nuclear programme and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The agreement quickly became entangled in conflicting interpretations. The US said vessels must be allowed to move freely through the waterway, while Iran maintained that it retained the right to supervise traffic and impose conditions on passage.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which a substantial share of the world’s traded oil and liquefied natural gas passes, has remained heavily disrupted. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had struck two tankers attempting to cross the strait, while four other vessels turned back. Details about casualties, ownership and damage were not immediately clear.
Kuwait said its armed forces intercepted Iranian drones targeting military facilities. Falling debris caused material damage but no casualties. Tehran described the attack as retaliation for US strikes and said one of the targets was an airbase used by American forces.
The escalation followed a brief suspension of US bombing after 13 consecutive nights of attacks on Iranian military positions, bridges and transport tunnels. The pause pushed oil prices sharply lower and raised hopes that diplomacy could gain momentum. Those expectations faded as drone and missile attacks spread across Gulf states and shipping routes.
US and Israeli officials are now considering a broader campaign against military and energy-related targets. Trump has not publicly confirmed that a final order has been issued, but he said Iran would be hit “very hard” and suggested the operation could continue until Tehran changed course.
Iran has warned that any fresh assault will bring a wider response. Its military leadership says preparations have been made to strike US bases and regional partners that assist American operations. Tehran also continues to rely on aligned armed groups in Iraq and Yemen, adding pressure on Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other states hosting US forces.
Saudi Arabia has responded by increasing attacks on Iran-backed groups and proposing a 14-country maritime security alliance to protect Red Sea trade and energy routes. Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan are among the countries supporting the initiative, while Oman and the United Arab Emirates have not endorsed it.
The conflict has become an intensifying political problem for Trump. Only about one-third of Americans support the war, while a majority say the administration has failed to explain its objectives clearly. Higher petrol prices and uncertainty over energy supplies have added to Republican concerns before the November congressional elections.
US military planners are also assessing weapons consumption after months of operations across Iran and neighbouring countries. Commanders have expressed concern about the use of advanced air-defence interceptors and precision munitions, although Trump has rejected suggestions that the armed forces face shortages.
Four US service members were killed during Iran’s response to the previous bombing campaign. Iranian attacks have also damaged civilian and military infrastructure in Gulf countries, while US strikes have killed scores of people and disrupted roads, bridges and communications inside Iran.
The possibility of negotiations has not disappeared completely. Mediators continue to carry messages between Washington and Tehran, and discussions on the nuclear programme remain tentatively scheduled before the end of August. The central disputes, however, have expanded beyond uranium enrichment to include sanctions, compensation, regional armed groups and control of the Strait of Hormuz.
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