Trump Undermines Iran Ceasefire Amid Strait of Hormuz Blockade and Israeli Strikes

The so-called ceasefire between the US and Iran is already showing serious cracks less than a week after it was announced by Donald Trump. On Thursday night, Trump took to social media to slam Iran for its near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery that carries about 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. “That is not the agreement we have!” Trump declared, casting doubt on the entire truce.

Iran insists its blockade is a direct response to ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, which Iran claims violate the ceasefire terms. Despite the ceasefire announcement, Israeli forces launched heavy attacks on Lebanese territory this week, targeting Hezbollah positions. Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly told his military to “be more low-key” to help US-Iran talks but simultaneously vowed to continue striking Hezbollah “with force.”

This contradiction underscores the fragile and volatile nature of the current ceasefire. Lebanon’s president Joseph Aoun has called for a full ceasefire as the only path to peace, demanding the US act as a mediator and guarantor in negotiations planned for next week in Washington. Iran’s leadership echoes this demand, with parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warning there is “no room for denial and backtracking” on ceasefire commitments.

Meanwhile, Trump remains optimistic about a peace deal, claiming Iran behaves “much more reasonably” in private talks than in public statements. His delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance along with Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, is set to meet Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, for high-stakes negotiations.

But the situation on the ground tells a different story. The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, causing the worst disruption to global energy supplies in history. Only a handful of cargo ships have passed since the ceasefire began, compared to the usual 140 daily transits. Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has ominously vowed to “take revenge” for war casualties and hinted at escalating control over the strait.

This latest episode highlights how Trump’s administration is using foreign conflict both as a distraction from domestic scandals and as leverage to consolidate power. The so-called ceasefire is little more than a fragile facade, with Israel’s continued attacks and Iran’s blockade threatening to plunge the region back into full-scale war. The world should not be fooled: the Trump administration’s approach to peace in the Middle East is as unstable and self-serving as ever.