President Trump's effort to wind down the conflict with Iran is colliding with escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. A senior Iranian official on Tuesday accused the US of undermining a shaky cease-fire and warned of an "unbearable" situation for Washington, reports the New York Times. Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran's lead negotiator in faltering peace talks, said a "new equation" was taking shape in the waterway, which Iran has largely blocked since war erupted in late February. On Monday, after Iranian forces fired missiles and harassed vessels in the strait, US helicopters sank Iranian speedboats in response, according to US Central Command. The clash came just hours into "Project Freedom," a US initiative to help commercial ships safely navigate the strait without direct military escorts.
"We know well that the continuation of the current situation is unbearable for the United States, while we have not even started yet," said Qalibaf. Trump, meanwhile, downplayed the conflict, notes the Wall Street Journal. "I call it a mini war," he told small-business owners at the White House on Monday. The war, he said, was a "little detour, and it's working very nicely." The president, however, is facing mounting pressure from hawkish allies like Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is demanding a "big, strong, painful and short" strike. The White House says "all options" remain on the table as Trump weighs military advice, economic fallout, and next week's high-profile summit with China's Xi Jinping.
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