What most infuriates Iran about Trump is his disrespectful and provocative remarks.

His latest public complaint:

"The U.S. doesn't even know who we're dealing with. We call them, and they say, 'This is Mohammed So-and-so.' I reply, 'Are you the leader?! We're looking for a leader... This is the only country in the world where nobody wants to be the leader. Is anyone willing to be president?!' But no one answers."

While this may sound like off-the-cuff remarks on stage, behind the scenes, Iran remains a tough opponent.

Trump has just sent a letter to Congress stating that the war with Iran "has been terminated." On the 60-day anniversary of the war, constitutional requirements mandate Congress vote; otherwise, the war cannot continue.

Given widespread opposition from nearly all Democratic lawmakers and a small number of Republicans, Trump realizes Congress will likely not authorize further military action—thus forcing him to end (terminate) it.

However, in the letter, Trump also hinted at the possibility of launching a new operation.

As he put it himself: the previous 60-day countdown has now expired—but whenever another military action is needed, a fresh 60-day countdown begins anew. In other words, it's an endless cycle, always restarting every 60 days.

Trump himself admitted: "This isn’t over. And I’m not eager to sign a deal. Iran hasn’t reached the kind of agreement we need. We’ll handle this properly. We won’t leave early and then let the problem resurface three years from now (when I’m out of office). I'm busy fielding calls from Iranians trying to strike a good deal—but we won’t allow that to happen. They must accept a bad deal. Maybe it would be better if we don’t make any deal at all."

To avoid military strikes, economic pressure is the way forward. Bessent said Iranians are in the dark, unable to see:

1. The U.S. has complete control over the Strait of Hormuz.

2. There’s a shortage of hard currency, such as the U.S. dollar.

3. Food and gasoline rationing systems have already been implemented.

4. The entire international community has turned against you.

5. The blockade will continue until navigation freedom is restored to its status before February 27.

Trump’s letter is a legal and political maneuver—it should not affect Iran’s level of alertness or decision-making.

Iran can only prepare for the worst-case scenario, and the Persians surely anticipate Trump pulling this trick.

A major variable is the UAE’s withdrawal from OPEC. Its Fujairah port lies in the Arabian Sea, seemingly outside Iran’s sphere of influence.

This port is seen as the location of the world’s largest energy storage facility, connected via a pipeline entirely bypassing the strait (see Figure 2) to Abu Dhabi’s oil fields.

The pipeline is not just a lifeline for the UAE—it also allows Kuwait to route its 3 million barrels per day output through the pipeline to Fujairah. Iraq, producing 4 million barrels per day, seems to see hope too.

But this pipeline is not a panacea. It has clear limitations: its capacity is only 1.5 million barrels per day.

The UAE alone produces nearly 4 million barrels per day. Adding Kuwait, Iraq, and Qatar’s loads brings the total close to 10 million barrels per day.

Fujairah port is a vision—but more so, a bottleneck.

The key question is whether Iran will allow this port to become a breach in the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz?

The actual distance from Iran to Fujairah port: 80 miles, or about 130 kilometers.

Iranian official media stated: "New management principles and rules for the Persian Gulf will be established and implemented according to the 'historic order' of the Supreme Leader."

No specific details were given on what this new framework means, but historically, the Persians never leave room for empty threats.

Additionally, the Iranian Navy declared it will take full control and oversight of approximately 2,000 kilometers of coastline in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, "making this blue water a source of prosperity and dignity for the Iranian people."

That sounds lofty—but the meaning is clear.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864043731227652/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.