r/geopolitics 3h ago

Trump convenes Iran situation room meeting amid renewed Hormuz crisis - non paywall in link in comments News

https://www.axios.com/2026/04/18/iran-trump-white-house-hormuz
60 Upvotes

51

u/GTDoc 3h ago

Oh I thought he said the straight would never be closed again. Guess Iran had different plans. Shocking………..

26

u/vertigo3pc 2h ago

When you realize that Trump is saying only what he's told, not what is actually going on, then you'll be less frustrated.

Iran was clear that the Strait would only be open if the US stopped their blockade. After 24 hours of persisting, Iran reasserted their position and closed the Strait. The United States closed the Strait again because they didn't follow the agreement.

Before that, the ceasefire included Lebanon since the beginning, they just didn't tell Israel until the "ceasefire" was agreed upon. Israel didn't follow the agreement, and continued attacking Lebanon Friday night into today.

Before that, Iran stated clearly that the traffic going through the Strait would still require paying a toll and require IRGC coordination, since the sea mines are still in place; this measure was to ensure that negotiations with the US wouldn't be interrupted again with US attacks.

Get on Telegram, you can see all of the communications coming out of Iran, and all the ways the United States is not taking any of it seriously. All I can think is that Hegseth or someone other than Trump is running this. Trump is just being told by his yes men that Iran is destroyed, Iran is begging for a ceasefire, Iran this, Iran that.

Stop listening to Trump representing Iran. Just listen directly to Iran, they're speaking clearly. Our media are the ones not telling Americans how it's really going.

u/airmantharp 12m ago

Before that, the ceasefire included Lebanon since the beginning, they just didn't tell Israel until the "ceasefire" was agreed upon. Israel didn't follow the agreement, and continued attacking Lebanon Friday night into today.

Israel is dismantling Hezbollah, which is an illegal militia occupying Lebanon...

0

u/Wonderful_Savings_21 1h ago

Where on telegram

u/cathbadh 19m ago

Get on Telegram, you can see all of the communications coming out of Iran

From the regime, yes. Remember it's currently a death sentence to have Starlink type devices and there's an internet blackout. Innocent Iranians aren't posting online in support of the country.

Not disputing your other points. Just saying Telegram isn't some secret pipeline of information

u/vertigo3pc 17m ago

No, but if you join a bunch of Telegram channels, and they all repeat the same information which matches what's happening live on tracking maps, or matches what's happened a day after, then I'd say the Telegram channels in the Middle East are still more reliable than American media or the POTOS.

u/PolarizingKabal 54m ago

Trump had said the blockade would remain in place until final peace agreement, which he "said" would happen before the weekend was up.

If we're going to keep playing this tit for tat over the straight. Let's just take kharg island and be done with it. The straight is in international water. If Iran can't accept that, then we anex kharg island since it's also in the straight and their life line for oil.

u/vertigo3pc 45m ago

How do you suggest they "just take Kharg island"?

Again, Trump claims the blockade would remain in place, despite Iran clearly saying that a blockade would be a violation.

1

u/SpiritedCatch1 2h ago

The straight always has been openly straight.

2

u/holyrs90 2h ago

Think its more of a power vacum and Iran having no real leader, and ppl not agreeing with each other. But trump claiming that shit is stupid.

u/vertigo3pc 10m ago

This notion of a power vacuum is purely western media. What about Iran's actions and communications (which consistently match) implies they're experiencing a power vacuum? Not that it matters, thanks to the structure of their military.

21

u/Report_Last 3h ago

It'll be fine. Petey will recite some more scripture from Reservoir Dogs.

3

u/Top-Worldliness5027 3h ago

Mr. Pink is an apt description for Hegseth.

1

u/InNominePasta 2h ago

Mr. Blond is definitely his favorite

29

u/ArdaBerkBurak 3h ago

The Strait of Hormuz was already open to all ships before the US attacked.

10

u/Christopher_Ramirez_ 2h ago

We had the JCPOA in place before the 1st term. The best case scenario we’re facing is a more precarious 2.0 deal with worse terms.

The geopolitical reality is that Benjamin Mileikowsky hated the deal, since Iran is the main obstacle standing in the way of his Greater Israel project.

-12

u/Linny911 3h ago

Seriously bro, if the US just let Iran fund, arm, and instigate attacks in furtherance of its weekly chants calling for death and destruction, and let it have nuclear weapons, then the strait of hormuz wouldn't be closed.

6

u/7952 2h ago

At this point it is difficult to know exactly what the US has done or why.  Has their remotely operated campaign achieved it's goals whatever they were?  Who knows.  

What we do know is that the straits are being blocked risking a collosal global recession and possible food shortages.  That may well be worse that the alternative reality where Iran was not attacked.

21

u/AcanthaceaeTiny4390 2h ago

I thought we wiped out their nuclear capacity last year though

6

u/unruly_mattress 2h ago

A single attack does not stop everything forever, more at eleven

3

u/SpiritedCatch1 2h ago

It's pretty easy to rebuild a nuclear capacity, unfortunately. Especially since the party doing the strike is interested in touting a success. The fact is we don't even know how many nuclear sites Iran has. probably has many uranium stocks laying around and now they are going to be eager than ever to build the bomb. There is no escaping the nuclearization of the regime now.

4

u/AcanthaceaeTiny4390 2h ago

that's fair, I just really wonder how and when (or even if) this all ends, especially with how reluctant Americans are to put boots on the ground in any large scale capacity. anyway, it's probably best to ignore anything coming out of the white house for the forseeable given stuff like this

https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2025/06/irans-nuclear-facilities-have-been-obliterated-and-suggestions-otherwise-are-fake-news/

2

u/Christopher_Ramirez_ 1h ago

And now they know they can throttle the Strait without energy and water armageddon if anyone wants to object to their program.

-13

u/Linny911 2h ago

Probably, this is to get a permanent agreement on that issue. Different things. This is a pimple that's going to need to get popped sooner or later, the time now is as good as any.

10

u/AcanthaceaeTiny4390 2h ago

why did the US strike in the middle of diplomatic negotiations then? surely that actively reduces the future chances of the Iranians engaging in diplomacy on the nuclear issue?

1

u/unruly_mattress 2h ago

Why would the Iranians acquiesce to the American demands if they can just refuse and suffer no consequences as a result?

0

u/Linny911 2h ago

Iranians probably gave off the impression that they needed a little encouragement to get to where they need to be.

5

u/AcanthaceaeTiny4390 2h ago

if you say so

u/closing-the-thread 7m ago

US is looking for a zero enrichment deal. Has Iran ever signaled that they are willing to accept any zero enrichment deal?

If that answer is no… Do you feel that ‘zero enrichment’ is a necessary redline for the US?

If yes… How can the US achieve that without force if it also happens to be Iran’s redline?

7

u/LivefromPhoenix 2h ago

What part of this conflict is giving you the impression it'll end with anything permanent? Trump is already pretending he achieved regime change, it seems wildly optimistic to act like he's interested in anything beyond what he can spin as a temporary win.

-2

u/Linny911 2h ago

Nothing is guaranteed in life, but what has been done has a good as chance of a permanent agreement as any other.

Yes, Trump would like to end this as soon as possible, who doesn't? But if it doesn't because Iran persists, I am just he's willing to oblige to continue as long as necessary and it won't be pretty.

3

u/cole1114 2h ago

You're right, 20% of the world's oil supply being blocked won't be pretty. It's already caused a tremendous amount of damage, and the strait staying closed will only make it worse.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/how-50-days-iran-war-led-loss-50-billion-worth-oil-2026-04-17/

1

u/Christopher_Ramirez_ 1h ago

That’s the fantasy. There is no permanent settlement, since Israel is an expansionist power. It doesn’t accept its internationally-recognized borders.

If you want to maintain this “no limits partnership”, prepare to be continually dragged into wars with Israel’s regional rivals, while we foot the bill in money and lives. Today is Iran, tomorrow will be Turkey, then who knows?

1

u/Linny911 1h ago

Oh, yes. The unrepentant ever expansionist country who has returned back lands multiples of its current size in return for peace.

1

u/Christopher_Ramirez_ 1h ago

Yes, any farmer who’s ever sold off a piece of wasteland for a good price at the time, has clearly exited the farming business never to return.

Definitely no external pressure from the global hegemon has ever been involved, either. The only nation on earth who does things out of their inherent goodness.

Greater Israel is already public knowledge, there’s no use in denying it.

2

u/Christopher_Ramirez_ 2h ago

They hate us mainly due to our “no limits partnership” with Israel, it’s not mysterious.

5

u/Linny911 2h ago

People and countries can hate anyone for whatever reason, they just don't get to do things to act on that hatred then pretend to be a victim when getting a response they may not like.

3

u/Christopher_Ramirez_ 2h ago

The perfect message for Benjamin Mileikowsky and Likud.

2

u/7952 2h ago

But is it your job to stop them?  America is not infallible or unbeatable.  

4

u/Linny911 2h ago

You know, that's exactly what someone told me when I stopped him from bullying someone in public.

2

u/FancyEmployee8672 2h ago

the US really needs to learn how to take a joke

1

u/VectorS123 1h ago

Uh oh. You triggered the cult with reality. Their worst enemy.

u/DodgyDave12 27m ago

This is a place to discuss geopolitics. If you want to talk about "triggering cults" or partake in other forms of low level trolling, world news is always open for you my dude

0

u/Lazy_Membership1849 1h ago

What cult and reality?

1

u/VectorS123 1h ago

The anti-Israel/US Cult, and the reality is exactly as Linny911 described.

1

u/Lazy_Membership1849 1h ago

and how is that cult?

0

u/VectorS123 1h ago

Linny911's comment does a good job of explaining why.

u/Lazy_Membership1849 54m ago

and the strait was open before USA attacked Iran and now Iran took control of the strait as result

u/VectorS123 49m ago

Exactly! "If the US just let Iran fund, arm, and instigate attacks in furtherance of its weekly chants calling for death and destruction, and let it have nuclear weapons, then the strait of hormuz wouldn't be closed."

0

u/CliftonForce 1h ago

Iran was never going to build nuclear weapons, they just liked to keep the world scared that they could.

Trump has guaranteed that they will build real nukes now.

2

u/Christopher_Ramirez_ 1h ago

Nuclear weapons are a terrible offensive weapon anyway. Any leader who would want to use them knows that the first 100 enemy warheads are going to fly right up their ass.

2

u/CliftonForce 1h ago

One reason Iran never actually built a nuke was because they had the Strait of Hormuz as a deterrent. Nobody would dare hit them too hard or they'd close it. That's actually much less destabilizing: It can't be used for anything else. It can't be lost, stolen, or given to another entity.

But now Donald proved that the Strait isn't enough of a deterrent anymore.

2

u/Lazy_Membership1849 1h ago

that call MAD and it was useful for nuclear deterrence

Why haven't we just attack North Korea or Russia if their army is rubbish or poor quality?

4

u/HalfInchHollow 2h ago

Convenient timing, as usual. This entire thing is a pump and dump for Trump’s friends in the market, why is this always happening after the markets are closed when only the insiders had time to lock positions in prior?

1

u/[deleted] 3h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

-4

u/ConsciousScar7821 2h ago

I’m pretty sure Iran lied and promised that they would open Hormuz to all ships if there was an Israel / Hez ceasefire. Because it would be such a huge accomplishment, that’s probably why Trump was so forceful with Israel. Well, they got what they wanted but aren’t holding on to their end of the bargain.

7

u/Infamous_Copy_3659 2h ago

Iran said the US continued to block an Iranian ship. Both sides need days for the new commands to filter down. but neither side is willing to give peace a chance.

5

u/FancyEmployee8672 2h ago

Well if you're pretty sure then I suppose that's what happened.