In the long arc of great-power confrontation, the sword is sometimes sheathed not out of mercy but out of calculation. President Trump has signaled a deliberate turn away from military strikes against Iran, choosing instead the slower, quieter violence of economic siege — a naval blockade, cascading sanctions, and the patient erosion of a rival's capacity to resist. With Oman quietly threading a diplomatic needle through the Strait of Hormuz, the world watches to see whether exhaustion on both sides can be converted into something resembling peace.
Trump pivots to economic pressure on Iran as oil prices stabilize
Iran struggles to pay its own troops due to economic pressure; ongoing intermittent strikes by Iran and Houthi allies continue against US bases and Saudi shipping.