U.S. President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum to pressure Iran, and in response, Iran said it would allow the passage of ships other than those "linked to an enemy nation."
According to Reuters and others on the 22nd local time, Iran said it would allow transit through the Strait of Hormuz for countries other than enemy nations after separate security guarantees. It means only U.S. ships, the main target, would be controlled, while merchant vessels from other countries would be protected.
On the day, Ali Mousavi, Iran's representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), told Mehr News Agency, "The Strait of Hormuz is open to all ships except those linked to Iran's enemies." He added, "They can pass after coordination with the Iranian government on security and safety."
But the United States is raising the pressure, even considering deploying ground troops. The day before, President Trump warned that if Iran did not lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a crude oil shipping lane, within 48 hours, the United States would completely destroy key infrastructure inside Iran.
According to a compilation of reports from Israel's Channel 12, Reuters, and other major outlets the same day, White House officials formally notified Israeli authorities that "it will take at least several more weeks" for a potential U.S. military operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to succeed.
This reflects the U.S. resolve to carry out, by force and even by extending the timeline for war, a complete operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if it is not opened within 48 hours as Iran proposed. President Trump initially pledged to end this war on a "very short schedule." But the actual battlefield has recently unfolded in a way far more complex and difficult than the U.S. military leadership originally envisioned.
In fact, the U.S. Department of Defense appears to be in full preparation to deploy ground forces. About 2,500 troops from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Okinawa, Japan, and 2,220 troops from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in California recently moved to the Middle East with three warships. In addition, the Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division, capable of deploying anywhere in the world within 18 hours, has begun preparations for Middle East deployment. They are the initial entry force tasked primarily with striking enemy command and key facilities.
Experts say the initial plan the Trump administration set when it began the war has already gone well beyond its control. The Times of Israel, citing former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan John Bass, criticized that "the White House did not sufficiently review scenarios in which the conflict with Iran would unfold differently than expected."
As a result, international oil prices have recently surged to nearly $120 per Barrel, and global supply chain disruptions have intensified. As the fallout spread to the U.S. economy and inflation, the White House decided to prioritize reopening the strait over ending the war. During this process, President Trump criticized NATO member states that are not helping secure the strait as cowards and also signaled a willingness to push ahead with a long-term unilateral operation.
Experts assessed that the initial plan the Trump administration laid out at the start of the war has already gone significantly beyond the scope of control. The Times of Israel, citing former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan John Bass, criticized that "the White House did not sufficiently review situations in which the conflict with Iran would unfold differently than expected."