The military remains poised to strike again with devastating force
In the long contest between force and negotiation, the United States has chosen a brief pause — declaring its military campaign against Iran complete while keeping its arsenal close at hand. Secretary of State Rubio now carries the fight to the United Nations, seeking a resolution that would compel Iran to halt its attacks and reveal the mines it has scattered across the Strait of Hormuz, one of the arteries through which the modern world's commerce flows. The move is both a diplomatic gambit and a warning: the window for peace is open, but it is being held open by the same hand that can close it.
- The US has formally ended Operation Epic Fury but warned Iran that any resumption of attacks on commercial shipping will trigger a devastating military response.
- Exchanges of fire between Iran and the US occurred within 24 hours of the ceasefire announcement, exposing just how fragile the pause truly is.
- The Trump administration is pressing the UN Security Council for a resolution demanding Iran stop attacks and disclose mine locations in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Russia and China, who vetoed a similar Bahrain-led resolution last month, are being directly appealed to on the grounds that their own economies depend on an open waterway.
- If the resolution passes, it could unlock sanctions against Iran and potentially authorize force — raising the diplomatic stakes considerably for all parties.
The United States has declared Operation Epic Fury — its weeks-long campaign of strikes against Iran — officially concluded, with Congress formally notified of the shift. But the announcement came paired with a sharp warning: American forces remain ready to deliver a devastating response should Iran resume attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Rather than signaling de-escalation, the pause marks a pivot to diplomacy. The Trump administration is now pushing a UN Security Council resolution that would demand Iran cease all attacks and immediately disclose the locations of any mines laid in the waterway. Secretary of State Rubio framed the resolution as a test of the UN's own relevance, making a pointed appeal to China and Russia — arguing that both nations have direct economic stakes in keeping the strait open and functioning.
The effort faces a familiar obstacle. A similar Bahrain-led resolution backed by Washington was vetoed by Russia and China just last month, widely seen as a move to deny the US international legal cover for further military action. The new resolution carries comparable weight: passage could open the door to sanctions and potentially authorize the use of force if Iran refuses to comply.
President Trump announced on Truth Social that Project Freedom — the operational effort to secure passage through the strait — would be paused to allow space for a negotiated agreement. Yet the ceasefire remains precarious; both sides exchanged fire in the 24 hours before the announcement. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a third of the world's seaborne oil passes, remains the fulcrum of the entire standoff — and the diplomatic window, while open, is narrow.
The United States has declared its military offensive against Iran complete, at least for now. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday that Operation Epic Fury—the campaign of strikes that had consumed American military attention for weeks—had concluded, with Congress formally notified of the shift. Yet the same breath that announced an end also carried a warning: the military remained poised to strike again with what officials described as a devastating response if Iran resumed attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
This pause in kinetic operations does not signal a broader de-escalation. Instead, it marks a pivot toward diplomatic pressure, with the Trump administration now pushing hard for a United Nations Security Council resolution that would demand Iran cease all attacks and immediately disclose the locations of any mines it has laid in the vital waterway. The resolution, seen by Reuters, explicitly condemns what it characterizes as Iranian violations of an already fragile ceasefire and describes Iran's actions as attempts to obstruct freedom of navigation through one of the world's most economically critical shipping lanes.
Rubio framed the resolution as a test of the United Nations' own relevance and effectiveness. He made a direct appeal to China and Russia, the two permanent Security Council members most likely to block the measure, arguing that their own economic interests lay in keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and functioning. A closed or severely disrupted waterway would ripple across dozens of nations and destabilize global trade. The logic was straightforward: even adversaries benefit from an open sea.
This is not the first attempt. A Bahrain-led resolution backed by Washington failed last month when Russia and China vetoed it, a move widely interpreted as an effort to prevent the United States from obtaining international legal cover for further military action. The new resolution carries similar weight—if it passes, it could open the door to sanctions against Iran and potentially authorize the use of force if Tehran refuses to comply.
Meanwhile, President Trump announced on Truth Social that Project Freedom—the operational name for the American effort to ensure ships can move through the Strait of Hormuz—would be paused for a limited time to allow space for a negotiated agreement. The ceasefire itself remains precarious. In the 24 hours before this announcement, both Iran and the United States had fired munitions at each other across the waterway, a reminder that the pause is conditional and that the underlying tensions remain unresolved.
The military dimension has not disappeared; it has simply been held in reserve. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff made clear that American forces stand ready to resume combat operations on command. The window for diplomacy is open, but it is narrow and fragile. Any new Iranian attack on shipping could trigger an immediate return to the kind of offensive operations that have now been formally concluded. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a third of the world's seaborne oil passes, remains the fulcrum on which this entire standoff turns.
Citações Notáveis
The operation is over—Epic Fury—as the president notified Congress. We're done with that stage of it.— Secretary of State Marco Rubio
It is in their interest not to see international waterways, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, be closed down and cause economic chaos to dozens and dozens of countries around the world.— Secretary of State Marco Rubio, addressing China and Russia
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why pause the military operations now, when the ceasefire is so fragile?
Because the administration believes it can extract more leverage through the UN than through more strikes. A resolution creates international legal cover and isolates Iran diplomatically. It's a different kind of pressure.
But Russia and China already blocked a similar resolution once. Why would they vote differently this time?
Rubio is betting that the argument about economic self-interest will land differently now—that the costs of a closed Hormuz are becoming too real to ignore, even for them.
What happens if Iran attacks shipping again during this pause?
The pause ends. The military is explicitly ready to resume. Trump's announcement isn't a commitment to peace; it's a conditional ceasefire with a very short fuse.
Is this actually a negotiation, or is it just a waiting period?
It's both. The administration is using the pause to pursue the UN route while keeping military options live. If diplomacy fails, they've already demonstrated they're willing to strike.
What does Iran gain from this arrangement?
Time, mostly. A chance to see if the international community will constrain the US, or if the pressure will only mount. The mines and attacks are their leverage—they're signaling they can disrupt global trade if pushed too far.