US can keep naval blockade on Iranian ports "indefinitely," Pentagon chief says

Months of U.S. strikes, which have hit Iran's leadership and damaged large parts of Iran's military capabilities, including its Navy, have not broken Tehran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has been striking back with missiles and drones against Washington's allies in the region, while also targeting commercial ships transiting the strait without its permission.

Trump has repeatedly oscillated between threats of escalation and claims that a peace deal is imminent. So far, he has resisted some of the most escalatory steps like deploying ground troops or seizing strategic islands and bombing desalination plants.

Trump is under pressure to end a war that is deeply unpopular at home ahead of midterm elections in November, and high fuel prices are a top issue in rural areas that have backed him in the past.