WASHINGTON-(MaraviPost)-US President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to restart war with Iran, sending shockwaves through diplomatic circles in Washington and beyond.
The warning came even as Vice President JD Vance met Iranian officials for the first talks held under a newly brokered peace deal, a meeting that had been billed as a cautious step toward de-escalation.
The diplomatic engagement was overshadowed almost immediately by Tehran’s announcement that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, a move that reshaped the tone of the day.
The closure of the vital waterway, through which a fifth of global oil shipments pass, immediately heightened fears of a wider economic and military escalation across the Middle East and global markets.
Trump’s remarks, delivered to reporters outside the White House, suggested that Washington was prepared to abandon diplomacy if provoked and return to a posture of military confrontation.
He said the United States would not tolerate what he described as Iran’s provocations and would respond with overwhelming force if necessary, leaving little ambiguity about the administration’s red lines.
Trump added that the Iranian leadership was testing American resolve at a moment when restraint was being extended in good faith.
Vice President Vance, meanwhile, described the meeting with Iranian officials as “preliminary but necessary,” signaling that the administration still saw value in keeping channels open.
He said the administration remained committed to testing whether a negotiated path could hold, despite the renewed tensions and the timing of Tehran’s announcement.
Vance noted that the talks were focused on verifying commitments made under the peace framework and ensuring that both sides understood the consequences of breaking terms.
Iranian state media confirmed the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, citing security concerns in the Persian Gulf and unspecified threats to maritime navigation.
Officials in Tehran framed the decision as a defensive measure, but gave no timeline for when the waterway would be reopened to commercial traffic.
Analysts warned that the move could trigger a spike in global oil prices and further strain already fragile markets still recovering from months of geopolitical uncertainty.
Energy experts said that even a temporary disruption in the Strait could add volatility to crude prices and increase costs for consumers in the United States, Europe, and Asia.
The dual signals of dialogue and confrontation underscored the precarious state of US-Iran relations, where trust remains thin and miscalculation is a constant risk.
International observers called for restraint, urging both sides to avoid actions that could unravel the fragile peace framework negotiated in recent weeks.
European and UN officials issued statements urging immediate de-escalation and a return to technical discussions aimed at keeping the Strait open and the talks on track.
For now, the administration appears to be pursuing a two-track approach: maintaining diplomatic contact while publicly preserving the option of military response.
The coming days will likely determine whether the talks can survive the immediate fallout or whether the closure of the Strait marks the beginning of a new phase of confrontation.
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