President Donald Trump has said American forces will remain positioned around Iran, warning of overwhelming military action if Tehran does not comply with Washington’s demands, a stance that has cast uncertainty over a fragile ceasefire.
Trump stated that US troops, aircraft, and naval assets would stay deployed until what he described as a “REAL AGREEMENT” is fully implemented.
He warned that if compliance fails, the “Shootin’ Starts,” describing potential action as unprecedented in scale.
The comments followed a Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire that paused six weeks of conflict and briefly eased global concerns over disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the pause, Trump reiterated demands that Iran abandon nuclear ambitions and ensure safe passage through the strategic waterway.
He also said US forces were “Loading Up and Resting, looking forward, actually, to its next Conquest”.
In Iran, reports from semiofficial agencies indicated that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may have deployed sea mines in the strait during the conflict.
A published chart marked a “danger zone” along shipping routes, suggesting vessels had shifted closer to Iran’s coastline near Larak Island.
It remained unclear whether any mines had been cleared following the ceasefire.
On the ground in Tehran, skepticism about the ceasefire has intensified amid continued US threats and Israel’s military actions in Lebanon.
Residents questioned whether diplomacy could endure under ongoing violence and regional escalation.
One man said, “A ceasefire has no meaning at all when our martyred leader has not even been buried yet.”
Iran has rejected a broad US proposal and instead outlined its own conditions, including ending Israeli attacks on Lebanon and lifting sanctions.
Officials indicated a delegation may travel to Islamabad for talks, though details remain uncertain after a related announcement was deleted.
Meanwhile, Israel has escalated strikes in Lebanon, carrying out some of its deadliest attacks in months and further straining the truce.
In Washington, criticism is growing, with lawmakers pushing to limit what they describe as unauthorised military action.