President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Ocala International Airport, in Ocala Florida, Friday, May 1, 2026. AP Put us down as skeptical that Operation Economic Fury is going to finally force Iran’s leaders to get real about permanently ending their nuclear programs — and worried about what message the prolonged suspension of US-Israeli assaults is sending not only to Tehran and other adversaries, but to our allies and to the American public.
President Donald Trump keeps extending his cease-fire, even though the Islamic Republic still offers only token concessions and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
US sanctions and the blockade on Iran’s exports will indeed hit hard, but the hardliners still calling the shots in Tehran don’t care about their people’s suffering, and plainly think they can stall until Trump decides to declare victory, let the oil get moving again and turn his attention elsewhere.
They began rebuilding as soon as the 12-Day War ended; they’ll do it again if they can.
America’s allies are surely worried about Washington’s constancy, too, while Beijing and Moscow smirk.
For all Trump’s desire to give peace a chance, we see no sign that delaying further “kinetic action” does anything except prolong the pain to the world economy (and, incidentally, boost Democrats’ chances of scoring big in the midterm elections).
It’s time to end the phony “stalemate,” and prove that the president won’t be suckered.
The Pentagon surely has a plan to reopen the Strait, and to take out the Iranian naval and coastal assets that threaten shipping; it certainly has targets picked out for the final two weeks’ of US-Israeli bombing, as envisioned in the original war plan, to leave the regime with no capability at all to threaten any neighbor for a very, very long time.
Convince the hardliners that this is no game of chicken, that stalling brings a heavy price; maybe the renewed bombing will even persuade the regular Army’s leaders to take over from the Revolutionary Guard fanatics now evidently in charge.
Open the Strait, escort tankers and other shipping through and get the world economy moving smoothly again.
Don’t hesitate to add new targets, whether in the Khamenei family’s hometown of Mashad or sites that the Guard junta might care about.
Establish US resolve to show our allies — in Europe, the Middle East and Asia — that Washington will finish what it starts, that it is a reliable and indispensable partner in securing peace and stability.
Any future deal to cease hostilities must include a “no nukes” deal where Iran explicitly surrenders its “nuclear dust” and its nuclear ambitions, and accepts strict “anywhere, anytime” verification inspections.
If Tehran won’t deal, America and its allies will have to figure out a permanent force to ensure free transit of the Strait: We don’t actually need the regime’s agreement to achieve all our aims, and all our sanctions can remain in place until some leadership in Tehran accepts our terms.
Only a forceful exercise of US resolve to conclude the Iran war on terms beneficial to America and the world is acceptable.
Anything other than finishing the job not only hands the hardliners what they’ll see as a win, it ensures that every world power will start putting more chips on the TACO tile.
The only people who gain from continued delay are the enemy.
