Trump Halts Planned Iran Strikes as Oman Pushes Hormuz Reopening Deal
Updated
Updated · Fortune · Jul 25
Trump Halts Planned Iran Strikes as Oman Pushes Hormuz Reopening Deal
3 articles · Updated · Fortune · Jul 25
Summary
Trump withheld approval for new U.S. strikes on Iran after receiving military plans Thursday, leaving Friday as the first day in nearly two weeks without a fresh attack announcement.
Omani officials were in Tehran seeking a new Strait of Hormuz arrangement, and sources said talks had progressed enough that an Oman-Iran deal could emerge over the weekend.
Trump said he still could resume strikes or escalate by “knocking out everything they have,” but cast a negotiated settlement as the “smarter strategy” and said both sides are talking.
The pause came despite Iran’s killing of U.S. troops in Jordan and attacks on commercial shipping near Oman, moves that have again constricted Hormuz and pushed crude prices higher.
U.S. forces have still surged bombers, fighters, special operations troops and medics into the region, while Gulf states and the Houthis widen the conflict across key oil shipping lanes.
With U.S. pressure, naval blockades, and regional strikes expanding, what would actually prevent this crisis from becoming a wider Middle East war?
If Oman helps reopen Hormuz, can that calm oil markets and shipping risks while attacks continue in the Red Sea?
The 60-Day Strait of Hormuz Ceasefire: Trump’s 2026 Maritime Crisis, Iran’s Toll Threat, and the Global Energy Shock
Overview
In July 2026, escalating attacks by Iran on ships in the Strait of Hormuz led President Trump to end a fragile ceasefire and launch heavy U.S. strikes, prompting Iran to retaliate against U.S. allies and energy infrastructure. After nearly two weeks of conflict, Trump paused military action, allowing mediators like Pakistan and Oman to broker a temporary 60-day deal that reopened the strait and eased the U.S. blockade. However, unresolved disputes over control and tolls in the strait, along with renewed blockades and high oil prices, fueled economic pain and political tension at home and abroad, leaving the region on edge as the ceasefire’s end approached.