Trump Delays Iran Strike as Tehran Warns of Wider War

Rising fuel prices and stalled talks over the Strait of Hormuz have left Americans facing higher costs at the pump while leaders in Washington and Tehran exchange fresh threats of renewed fighting. The central tension remains whether a fragile April 8 ceasefire can produce a lasting agreement or whether one side will resume strikes first.

President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday he had been one hour from ordering new attacks before postponing after appeals from Gulf nations. He repeated that Iran has two or three days to reach a deal and warned of another “big hit” if talks fail. Vice President JD Vance described negotiations as making “a lot of good progress” yet said U.S. forces remain “locked and loaded.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard responded Wednesday with its own warning. A statement carried by the semi-official Mehr and Tasnim agencies said renewed aggression would extend the conflict “beyond the region” and deliver “crushing blows” in places the United States and Israel “cannot imagine.” Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia separately told state media that Tehran would open “new fronts” with new equipment if attacked.

Shipping data from LSEG and Kpler showed two Chinese supertankers carrying roughly four million barrels of crude finally exited the Strait of Hormuz after waiting more than two months. The waterway, normally used for about 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas, has remained effectively closed since fighting began February 28. Brent crude prices eased slightly on the diplomatic comments but stayed above $110 a barrel.

Diplomatic activity continued in parallel. Pakistan’s interior minister made a second visit to Tehran in a week for mediation talks. Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin for discussions that included energy and weapons issues. G7 finance ministers pledged closer coordination on economic risks.

Public opinion inside the United States has turned more negative. An AP-NORC poll found overall approval of Trump’s handling of the economy at roughly 30 percent and approval of his Iran policy at about one-third of adults. Republican support for his economic management fell from the low 80s in February to around 60 percent in the latest survey. Protests over fuel prices have already erupted in Kenya, where four people died in related violence.

The unresolved question is whether either side will accept the core concessions still blocking a formal end to hostilities: Iranian commitments on nuclear work and reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief and security guarantees.