- By Ajeet Kumar
- Sat, 16 May 2026 01:18 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Trump returns from China, no Iran progress.
- US considers military action against Iran.
- Strait of Hormuz reopening still a major concern.
US President Donald Trump returned from China on Friday under growing pressure over Iran after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping failed to bring any major progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz or solving the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Now, the US is openly showing that military action against Iran is still an option.
According to a report by The New York Times, senior US officials have prepared plans for possible new strikes on Iran if Trump believes diplomacy has failed. The report said the US and Israel are making their biggest military preparations since the April 7 ceasefire, and fresh attacks could be discussed as early as next week.
While returning from Beijing, Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal.
I don’t like the first sentence, I just throw it away: Trump
“I looked at it, and if I don’t like the first sentence, I just throw it away,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Trump said he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about Iran, as China depends heavily on oil and gas passing through the Strait of Hormuz. However, Trump admitted he did not directly ask Xi to pressure Iran.
China also did not publicly promise any action to help reopen the waterway. The Chinese foreign ministry only said the conflict “should never have happened” and “has no reason to continue.”
Strait of Hormuz Still Major Concern
Iran mostly closed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping after US-Israeli strikes began on February 28. Even after a ceasefire on April 7, Iran said the route would fully reopen only if the US ended its naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Before the conflict, nearly 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the narrow waterway.
Trump has repeatedly warned Iran that the US may restart military action if shipping does not return to normal.
“We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon, we want the straits open,” Trump said during his China visit.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also warned that the conflict is “not over” and said Iran’s nuclear sites still need to be destroyed.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington is ready for both peace and conflict.
“We have a plan to escalate if necessary,” he told lawmakers.
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According to The New York Times, possible military options include wider airstrikes on Iranian military targets and special operations to target underground nuclear facilities in Isfahan.
The report also said hundreds of US Special Operations troops were deployed earlier this year to keep that option ready.
US Military Still On Alert
Despite the ceasefire, the US has kept strong military forces in the region. General Dan Caine said over 50,000 US troops, two aircraft carriers, Navy destroyers and many combat aircraft are ready for major military action if needed.
Meanwhile, Iran has reportedly restored access to most of its missile systems, including 30 of 33 missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz.
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