U.S. President Donald Trump has privately told aides that he does not intend to abandon the ceasefire with Iran unless Tehran’s attacks kill American troops, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials.
The position suggests Trump may be prepared to tolerate limited flare-ups for weeks or even months in an effort to avoid a wider war in the Middle East, the report said.
The ceasefire, which took effect in early April, has come under growing strain in recent days as the United States and Iran exchanged some of their most serious strikes since the truce began. Iran launched missiles and drones at U.S. military sites across the region and also targeted Kuwait International Airport, leaving one person dead.
Tensions have been further fueled by a dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy routes. Iran has restricted commercial traffic through the waterway, while Washington has imposed a tight blockade on Iranian ports, disrupting global shipping and energy markets.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers on Wednesday that the exchanges should be viewed as defensive actions rather than a full return to war.
“They are happening in response to an Iranian action,” Rubio said during a House hearing. “If they don’t shoot at those ships, we don’t shoot, but we have to respond.”
Still, the repeated attacks have increased pressure on Trump and raised questions about whether the ceasefire can survive over the long term.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he is close to securing an end-of-war agreement with Iran. The proposed deal would reportedly reopen the Strait of Hormuz, dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and eliminate its stockpile of enriched uranium.