In a late-night social media declaration that rattled global markets, former President Donald Trump made it crystal clear on Wednesday: U.S. military forces will not be leaving Iranian waters or airspace anytime soon.
His message was blunt—until Tehran fully adheres to what he calls the “real agreement,” American ships, warplanes, and troops will stay locked in position around Iran. Any violation, he warned, would trigger a military response “bigger, better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before.”
Trump took to Truth Social just past midnight to deliver the ultimatum, adding that under the undisclosed deal, Iran has agreed to forgo nuclear weapons development while keeping the Strait of Hormuz—a vital chokepoint for global oil shipments—open and safe for commercial traffic.
“In the meantime,” he wrote, “our great Military is Loading Up and Resting, looking forward, actually, to its next Conquest.” He capped the post with a bold declaration: “AMERICA IS BACK!”
The dramatic statement came just one day after Washington and Tehran agreed to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan. That truce had halted six weeks of intense fighting and sparked a brief relief rally in energy markets, as traders grew hopeful that crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz might soon resume. Iran has signaled that safe passage is possible but only under coordination with its armed forces—leaving major ambiguities.
Despite the ceasefire, deep divisions remain. Iran has reportedly rejected a 15-point U.S. proposal and instead floated its own 10-point plan, which includes lifting all sanctions and ending Israeli strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump, however, dismissed that plan on Wednesday as “totally fake”.
Complicating matters further, Israel has ramped up its own military campaign. While backing Trump’s decision to pause strikes on Iran, Israel made it clear that the ceasefire does not extend to Lebanon.
On Wednesday alone, Israeli offensives killed at least 182 people in Lebanon—the deadliest strikes since the war began in February.
That escalation drew a sharp reaction from Tehran, which hinted that moving forward with permanent peace talks would now be “unreasonable,” casting serious doubt on the truce’s durability.
Negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials are still scheduled for Friday in Islamabad, but the atmosphere has turned decidedly grim.
Meanwhile, oil prices resumed their climb on Thursday. Brent crude futures for June delivery jumped 2.46% to $97.08 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for May rose 3.4% to $97.55. The renewed hostilities have crushed hopes for a swift end to the conflict.
In an emotional interview with CNBC, Lebanon’s Economy Minister Amer Bisat said his country was “forced into this war” by outside powers and is paying a devastating price.
“We are paying a devastating price for this war, a war that was imposed on us,” Bisat said, reiterating Lebanon’s demand for a sovereign-led ceasefire and a negotiated settlement.
