The situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains at a stalemate for the US and Israel, despite the agreement between Iran and Oman regarding navigation management.
The reality is that the Americans have failed completely; as stated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), «Iran brought the world's most heavily armed military to its knees».
Meanwhile, the US finds itself in despair, seeking nations like Greece and Austria to mediate, yet Iran considers both countries untrustworthy.
At the same time, The Jerusalem Post claims that the US will unfreeze Iranian assets in exchange for free passage through Hormuz.
The Gulf states have diagnosed the inability of the American administration to achieve a diplomatic solution in the war against Iran, emphasized The Washington Post.
The Wall Street Journal also revealed that senior officials in the Donald Trump administration have intensified economic pressure on Iran during the war, establishing the reduction of oil prices as a primary war objective.
They have also warned of unprecedented economic sanctions which, they claim, will force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The Jerusalem Post: The US will unfreeze Iranian funds in exchange for free transit through Hormuz
The United States intends to gradually unfreeze Iranian assets and implement a partial lifting of sanctions in exchange for Iran permitting the unhindered and duty-free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, reported The Jerusalem Post.
This development confirms the American impasse in the Persian Gulf.
The Washington Post: Gulf nations see US inability to strike deal with Iran, reject major military bases
The Gulf states among US allies are convinced of the American administration's inability to achieve a diplomatic solution in the war against Iran, reported The Washington Post.
US allies in the Persian Gulf are growing increasingly anxious, observing evident weakness as diplomatic efforts required to forge a peace agreement with Iran falter.
According to The Washington Post, «Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain are united in their dissatisfaction with the American administration».
«Some of them have begun debating whether it is advisable to host major American military bases on their soil».
Discontent over the actions of the United States «has soared» since the onset of the military campaign against Iran.
As the newspaper notes, this is underscored by the Mecca Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, which stipulates that an attack on any one nation will be deemed an aggression against all signatories.
The Wall Street Journal: The US sees no nuclear deal with Iran, will apply unbearable economic pressure
The American administration has grown increasingly pessimistic in recent weeks regarding the conclusion of a definitive nuclear agreement with Iran.
Aides to Donald Trump are presenting data on the damage inflicted by sanctions, persuading him to escalate economic pressure rather than military conflict.
The Wall Street Journal reported that senior officials in the Donald Trump administration have escalated economic pressure on Iran, making the reduction of oil prices a central war aim.
Officials from the United Arab Emirates announced that Iran attacked two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Analysts state that the attacks demonstrate Iran is not backing down in the face of further economic sanctions, while Donald Trump appears reluctant to return to full-scale warfare.
As Donald Trump relies increasingly on the US Navy's blockade of Iranian ports as a lever of economic pressure, Iranian leaders seek to show they will not surrender and will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until rising energy prices compel the US to retreat.
«Iran has drawn a simple lesson from every game of chicken with Washington: if it remains cool-headed long enough, America is the one that will swerve first», stated the deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the International Crisis Group.
«For a system that believes it is fighting for its survival, existential threats usually harden resolve rather than cap resistance».
Time is on Iran's side
Iranian officials believe time is on their side and have raised their demands for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran states that the US must:
1) End the war.
2) Lift the naval blockade.
3) Take steps to alleviate the pressure of debilitating sanctions and release Iran's frozen financial assets.
Now the central question of the war is: Which side will succumb first to economic pressure?
The war of words between both sides has also intensified.
«After we finish defeating Iran (which is being defeated very badly), I will declare very soon that the Strait of Hormuz is United States territory», stated Donald Trump.
A White House official later claimed that Donald Trump was joking.
In response, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister wrote on the X social network: «The Strait of Hormuz was Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian... this strait will close and open solely under Iranian command».
America claims it can sustain the blockade indefinitely
The US Secretary of Defense stated that the US Navy could sustain the blockade of Iran indefinitely.
American officials also indicated that the military is preparing to relieve the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the region with the USS George Washington.
The decision comes amid mounting concerns regarding crew living conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln and the strain imposed by prolonged combat deployments.
Concurrently, Iran's capacity to escalate the conflict militarily makes it more difficult for the US to extract concessions solely through economic coercion.
The strike on vessels linked to the Emirati state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) brings the number of targeted ships to six in August.
Vessel tracking data from Kpler reveals that only 13 ships transited the waterway on August 13, compared to over 130 vessels daily prior to the war.
Of those 13 vessels, 9 traversed via the Iranian route.
Iranian Foreign Ministry: Oil pollution damages in Hormuz reach trillions of dollars
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that damages inflicted on the regional marine ecosystem by oil pollution could be valued in the trillions of dollars.
He added that every participant in commercial shipping must be held legally and morally accountable for remediating regional environmental harm.
According to the Associated Press, the 247-meter tanker Caroline Bezengi departed from a Black Sea port in May, and on June 8, the vessel's crew reported an on-board explosion.
Subsequently, the tanker sought refuge off the Kuria Muria Islands in Oman, causing a massive oil leak.
The oil slick from the tanker Caroline Bezengi impacted 12 kilometers of Omani coastline.
IRGC Commander: Iran brought the world's most heavily armed military to its knees
The Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) states that Iran has brought «the most heavily armed military in world history» to its knees through successful offensive and defensive operations executed under heavy fire.
Major General Ahmad Vahidi stated that their performance against «humanity's most bloodthirsty enemies» captivated the world and revived hope among the oppressed by ultimately overcoming global powers.
A desperate and declining hegemon copying Iran's strategic playbook
The scene is remarkably familiar: the American President stands behind the White House podium announcing that Iran owes money to America.
«We are seeking funds for the damages they caused over a 50-year period», stated Donald Trump.
Later, on his Truth Social platform, doubling down on the claim: «I also demand reparations from Iran for all the people they have killed or severely injured with roadside bombs and in the numerous conflicts for which they are known».
At first glance, it appears to be an audacious diplomatic move. Yet a closer examination reveals a reactive and desperate ploy exposing American strategic insolvency.
Iran demands $300 billion in war reparations
Iran recently outlined a list of conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including $300 billion in war reparations.
Donald Trump's response was not to outright dismiss the demand, but to mirror it.
He inverted Iran's demand into an American claim, asserting that Iran owed reparations for everything that, ironically, never occurred.
US fake news
On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched a coordinated war of aggression against Iran.
The illegal and unprovoked war, which has now entered its sixth month, has failed; not a single military objective has been accomplished.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ali Khamenei, was killed on the first day of the war alongside several top commanders, yet the leadership structure remained intact, with all vital posts duly filled to prevent disruption amid hostilities.
To the dismay of doomsayers, the Islamic Republic of Iran neither collapsed nor fractured.
Nor did it surrender or retreat.
Instead, it resisted and responded to the aggression.
Hormuz proved to be a formidable weapon for Iran
Iran's most effective weapon was not its missile arsenal, but its strategic and lawful control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Prior to the war, approximately 20% of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) transited this narrow waterway situated between Iran and Oman.
Following the imposition of war, Iran moved to effectively seal Hormuz against hostile vessels, reducing commercial shipping nearly to zero.
Today, only a handful of tankers transit the waterway daily, compared to hundreds of tankers prior to the conflict.
The 5 conditions to reopen Hormuz, $300 billion reparations, and $100 billion unfreezing of Iranian assets
1) An end to US threats and insults directed at Iran's national and religious sanctities.
2) A permanent cessation of the war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq.
3) The lifting of the US naval blockade and the withdrawal of American naval and air assets from the vicinity of Iran.
4) Full compensation for war-related damages, estimated at $300 billion.
5) Complete lifting of all sanctions.
6) The release of Iran's frozen assets, estimated at up to $100 billion.
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