The White House is preparing for the possibility of a prolonged military confrontation with Iran, with US officials saying the latest campaign could continue for days or several weeks depending on Tehran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflict has expanded beyond earlier US efforts to weaken Iran’s missile capabilities and target its remaining nuclear infrastructure. Securing freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz has now emerged as a central objective for Washington following Iranian attacks on commercial vessels using the strategically important waterway.

US Campaign Could Continue For Several Weeks

A US official told Axios that Washington was preparing for a military campaign that could last anywhere from a few days to several weeks.

One senior official said US military action would continue for as long as Iran persisted with attacks on commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

“We’re going to slap them a bit so they understand we’re not f***ing around,” the official said, indicating that the administration intended to maintain military pressure until Tehran changed its approach.

The renewed military campaign followed the apparent collapse of diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the 60-day ceasefire envisioned under the US-Iran memorandum of understanding was effectively “over” following Iranian attacks on commercial shipping.

The United States subsequently launched a second wave of strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, including attacks on infrastructure inside Iran. The strikes marked the first such attacks on Iranian infrastructure in months.

Iran retaliated by targeting US military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain and reiterated that it would not relinquish what it considers its authority over the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump Says Iran Reached Out For A Deal

Despite the renewed military escalation, Trump later suggested that a diplomatic breakthrough remained possible.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump claimed Iranian officials had contacted the United States and expressed an interest in negotiations.

“They called a little while ago. They want to make a deal,” Trump said.

However, the US president later questioned whether Tehran could be trusted to honour any future agreement.

“I just don’t know if they’re worthy of making a deal. I don’t know that they’re going to honor the deal. They’re sort of crazy, to be honest,” Trump said.

The reported outreach from Iran has not been independently confirmed, and Iranian officials have not acknowledged direct communication with Washington.

Iranian Attacks On Ships Prompted Fresh US Strikes

People familiar with internal White House discussions told Axios that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth briefed Trump about fresh Iranian attacks targeting maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the report, Iran fired anti-ship cruise missiles and one-way attack drones at vessels travelling through the southern shipping lane.

Three commercial vessels, including a liquefied natural gas tanker, were struck within a matter of hours.

The briefings reportedly convinced Trump that Iran was not genuinely seeking a final settlement, prompting the administration to approve further military action.

For the Trump administration, keeping the Strait of Hormuz open has become a key military objective to protect international shipping and prevent disruptions to global energy markets.

Iran Insists Strait Must Operate On Tehran’s Terms

Iran, however, has made control over the strategic waterway a central part of its negotiating position.

Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, accused Washington of violating previous commitments and warned that shipping through the strait would continue only under conditions established by Tehran.

“If you strike, you’ll get hit. The Strait of Hormuz will only open with Iranian arrangements, not American threats,” Ghalibaf wrote on X.

The dispute has also highlighted growing disagreements over the implementation of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.

Under the agreement, Iran was required to permit safe commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian officials later accused Washington of violating the arrangement by directing vessels through a southern route near Oman’s coast without Tehran’s approval, further damaging trust between the two sides.

US Says Continued Shipping Gives It Room To Escalate

US officials believe the administration has greater flexibility to intensify military operations because commercial traffic has continued to move through the waterway in recent weeks.

Hundreds of oil tankers have successfully exited the Gulf, reducing concerns that renewed fighting would immediately cause a sharp rise in global oil prices.

Another US official told Axios that the escalation also reflected growing frustration among hard-line factions within Iran’s divided leadership, which believes the memorandum of understanding has failed to deliver significant economic benefits.

According to the official, Tehran saw its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz weakening as commercial vessels increasingly used the southern shipping route.

Although Washington had offered sanctions waivers, Iran continued to face difficulties exporting oil because banks remained reluctant to process transactions and several countries were unwilling to rely on temporary exemptions.

US Official Says Iran Failed To Meet Nuclear Commitments

The official also claimed that no frozen Iranian assets had been released because Tehran had not completed the nuclear-related commitments required under the agreement.

A separate US-brokered framework between Israel and Lebanon also made parts of the broader memorandum redundant, contributing to dissatisfaction within sections of Iran’s leadership.

“Part of the Iranian leadership was not happy about all of those things,” the official said.

“They started shooting and we decided it’s time to slap them back hard. It’s a process. We have patience. If we don’t feel we’re getting the deal we want, we are not going to do it,” he added.

Vance Warns US Strikes Will Continue Until Shipping Lane Opens

US Vice President JD Vance said Washington’s position remained unchanged and insisted that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to international shipping.

“If they try to close it down, there’s going to be a response from the American military. They can either follow it, or they can have exactly what happened to them last night. It’s just going to keep on happening until they open up that lane and stop shooting at ships,” Vance said.

With Washington preparing for the possibility of an extended military campaign and Tehran refusing to give up its claimed authority over the Strait of Hormuz, the dispute over the strategic waterway continues to threaten the interim agreement and prospects for renewed negotiations.

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