'The word belongs to the battlefield': Why Iran, US are drifting back to conflict
Iran no longer seeks a return to the prewar status quo, insisting that any future negotiations begin with the new regional balance created by the conflict rather than seek to restore the old one.
The fragile understanding that pulled Washington and Tehran back from the brink after April is steadily coming apart. Military strikes are expanding, diplomacy is losing momentum and regional flashpoints from the Strait of Hormuz to Yemen are once again reinforcing one another.
The question is no longer whether the previous understanding can be revived, but whether either side still believes it reflects the strategic reality created by the war.
Hormuz, again
President Donald Trump’s latest statement on Monday leaves little doubt about Washington’s direction. “The Strait of Hormuz is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran,” he wrote on Truth Social, announcing the reinstatement of an “Iranian Blockade” targeting Iranian ships and their customers while allowing other nations to continue using the waterway. He added that the United States would become “the Guardian of the Strait,” a role for which it expected payment, demanding a 20% fee on cargo transiting the passage, substantially higher than the fees previously imposed by Iran.
