Is Trump mulling bigger Iran operation as Hormuz crisis deepens?

Dubai: The United States appears to be shifting from trying to degrade Iran’s military capabilities to considering operations that could fundamentally weaken Tehran’s ability to control the Strait of Hormuz, marking what could be a new phase in the conflict.

As President Donald Trump weighs broader military options, commercial shipping through the strategic waterway has fallen to a fraction of normal levels, India has barred its seafarers from transiting the strait and Pakistan has stepped up diplomatic efforts to bring Washington and Tehran back to the negotiating table.

According to officials familiar with internal discussions, Trump has been reviewing options to expand the military campaign during Situation Room meetings, including operations aimed at loosening Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

Among the options under consideration, according to CNN, are an operation to seize Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, and strikes on underground facilities at Pickaxe Mountain, believed to be linked to Tehran’s nuclear programme.

The discussions come after nearly a week of daily US strikes targeting Iranian missile sites, radar systems and drone capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz.

Officials say those attacks are intended to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping, but they could also lay the groundwork for broader military operations if Trump decides to escalate.

Despite the tougher military posture, the White House has continued to send mixed signals about diplomacy.

Trump has alternated between saying Iran is eager to negotiate and declaring further talks a waste of time.

Vice-President JD Vance, who has led US contacts with Tehran, acknowledged this week that military action alone cannot achieve Washington’s objectives.

“You can bomb them ... but it’s just too easy to fire at ships in the straits,” he said, arguing that diplomacy remains essential to any lasting solution.

The conflict is already reshaping shipping through one of the world’s most important energy corridors.

Only 13 merchant vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler — roughly one-tenth of normal traffic.

Most ships continued to sail close to the Iranian coastline despite US efforts to encourage vessels to use the southern route near Oman, highlighting Tehran’s continuing influence over navigation through the waterway.

Iran has repeatedly insisted that commercial shipping requires its permission and this week described the Strait as an “unbreakable red line.” The Iranian military warned it would destroy “all infrastructure throughout the region” if Trump carried out threats to attack Iranian infrastructure.

Reflecting growing concerns over the deteriorating security situation, India has ordered shipowners not to deploy Indian seafarers on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz until further notice.

The advisory follows a series of drone attacks on commercial shipping in which two Indian sailors were killed.

India supplies more than 300,000 seafarers to the global shipping industry, while the Forward Seamen’s Union of India estimates around 15,000 Indian crew members remain stranded west of the Strait.

As military tensions rise, Pakistan has renewed efforts to revive diplomacy.

The Foreign Ministry said Islamabad was engaging regional partners to support de-escalation and a peaceful resolution, reiterating that dialogue remained the only viable path to ending the crisis.

Pakistan also warned that countries across the Global South were bearing the brunt of disruptions to energy supplies and trade, with import-dependent economies particularly exposed to any prolonged closure or restriction of the Strait.