President Donald Trump is reportedly planning for an “extended” blockade of Iran. According to reports, the president has told officials to prepare for a long-term strategy targeting Iran’s shipping routes. The move is aimed at weakening its economy, rather than pursuing military action or withdrawing from the conflict.
According to the Wall Street Journal, in the recent meetings, including the one on Monday in the Situation Room, Trump has asked its officials to continue restricting ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports. Officials said the president reconsidered resuming bombing operations or ending U.S. involvement altogether, but both options carried more risk than maintaining the blockade.
NEW: Donald Trump has instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Meanwhile, at tonight’s state dinner with King Charles, Trump referred to the Iran war: “We’re doing a little Middle East work right now.”
Trump has no plan. He… pic.twitter.com/XatvVvyXXD
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) April 29, 2026
Nonetheless, the report notes that the blockade had its own consequences: it pushed up gas prices, hurt Trump’s poll numbers, which could affect Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections. In addition, ever since the war began, the traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil route, has also dropped to low levels.
Meanwhile, Suzanne Maloney, an Iran expert and vice president of the Brookings Institution’s foreign policy program, said, “Iran is calculating that its ability to withstand and circumvent the blockade outstrips the US interest in preventing a wider energy crisis and potentially a global recession.”
According to the report, she added, “A regime that slaughtered its own citizens to silence protests in January is fully prepared to impose economic hardships on them now.”
Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the U.S. has met the military objectives of Operation Epic Fury and continues to have “maximum leverage over the regime” due to the blockade.
The WSJ report also cites the Axios story, which says some US officials expect the eight-week conflict to likely end with neither a nuclear deal nor continued war because there is no clear, decisive pathway.
Despite such chatter, Trump recently claimed on his Truth Social that Iran is in a “state of collapse.” He mentioned that Iran wants us to “Open the Hormuz Strait,” as soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation.” Though the mode of communication remains unclear, the president also reiterated that Tehran was reeling under a leadership crisis.
President Trump on Truth Social: Iran has just informed us that they are in a “State of Collapse.”
They want us to “Open the Hormuz Strait,” as soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation (Which I believe they will be able to do!).
Thank you for… pic.twitter.com/M8nVMLsv3x
— Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) April 28, 2026
In addition, the president and First Lady Melania Trump hosted a state dinner for King Charles and Queen Camilla on Tuesday. During his speech, Trump claimed that the monarch also doesn’t want Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
According to Reuters, Trump said, “We’re doing a little Middle East work right now, and we’re doing very well. We have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we’re never going to let that opponent ever – Charles agrees with me even more than I do – we’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.” Interestingly, in his own comments following Trump, the monarch didn’t mention Iran or the war.
