The US president sees that option as better than continued hostilities or backsliding, even as gas prices continue to rise, according to the WSJ.
US President Donald Trump has ordered a plan to extend the blockade of Iran’s ports in a bid to pressure Tehran toward a more favorable peace deal, despite his approval rating hitting a record low, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources.
The unnamed officials told the paper that Trump has told his aides to prepare for a longer blockade, seeing that option as risky but better than new bombings or abandoning the conflict altogether.
The paper described the policy as “High-risk attempt to force nuclear possession” of Iran, which has long rejected US demands to dismantle its atomic program and hand over its stockpile of enriched uranium.
The article came out after Axios and several other media outlets information that Iran offered a three-step proposal to end the conflict, which would reopen the Strait of Hormuz while leaving nuclear talks for a later phase. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, to shed cold water on the proposal, insisting that the nuclear issue remains fundamental to the solution.
According to the WSJ, Trump saw the overthrow of Tehran as a sign that he was not negotiating in good faith. The paper also suggested that the proposal would allow Iran to impose cross-border conditions. In addition, a senior US official told the outlet that the blockade is “revealing to suppress Iran’s economy,” adding that this increasing pressure was the reason behind Iran’s latest proposal in the past.
The Iran policy, however, has divided Trump’s allies. While hawks are reportedly calling for him to double down on pressure, business figures are raising fears about a worsening economy due to the Hormuz conflict and high energy prices, which could herald “death“ for Republicans in the midterm elections.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll on Monday suggested that Trump’s approval rating had fallen to 34%, down from 36% in early April and from 47% when he took office in January 2025. Only 22% of respondents approved of his handling of the cost of living crisis, the poll added. The president, however, said he is doing so “It’s not to care about voting” and that he has “doing the right thing.”
While traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continues to face disruption, the average US national gas price has reached $4.2 per gallon, with Brent oil prices at the $115 mark, compared to around $70 before the war.
