Trump reportedly believed that maintaining the blockade was less risky than walking away or restarting the conflict.
US President Donald Trump told his aides to start prepping for an extended blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
In a Monday meeting, Trump pushed to continue applying economic pressure on Iran instead of deciding to restart the war with Iran or ending the ceasefire negotiations.
He reportedly believed that maintaining the blockade was less risky than walking away or restarting the conflict.
Separately, during a state dinner with Britain’s King Charles, Trump said that the US military was “doing well” in the Middle East.
“We’re doing a little Middle East work right now, … and we’re doing very well,” Trump said.
“We have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we’re never going to let that opponent ever. Charles agrees with me even more than I do; we’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.”
What was in Iran's proposed ceasefire plan?
This comes after Iran largely blocked all shipping apart from its own from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global energy supplies, since the war began on February 28. This month, the US began blockading Iranian ships.
In the latest round of talks, Trump was reportedly unhappy with Iran’s proposal because it did not address Iran’s nuclear program.
"He doesn't love the proposal," the US official said, referring to Trump.
Iranian sources earlier on Monday said the proposal would set aside discussion of Iran's nuclear program until the war has ended and disputes over shipping from the Gulf are resolved. Washington has said nuclear issues must be dealt with from the outset.
Senior Iranian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the proposal Araghchi carried to Islamabad over the weekend envisioned staged talks.
A first step would be to end the war and provide guarantees that the US cannot restart it. Then negotiators would resolve the US Navy's blockade of Iran's sea trade and the fate of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran aims to reopen under its control.
Only then would talks look at other issues, including the longstanding dispute over Iran's nuclear program, with Iran seeking US acknowledgment of its right to enrich uranium.
That would bear echoes of Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with the United States and other powers, which had sharply curtailed Tehran's nuclear program.
