Trump appears to have dropped tit-for-tat strategy for Iran attacks on shipping
The U.S. hasn't responded to weeks of strikes to commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz despite Trump's previous threats that the U.S. will “hit back much harder.”
President Donald Trump has seemingly abandoned his previous strategy of retaliating against Iran for attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. After declaring the memorandum of understanding with Iran over on July 7, the president threatened to bomb Iranian bridges or power plants when commercial vessels were targeted.
However, following nearly two weeks of no U.S. military responses to Iran's attacks, Trump has softened his stance, describing the vessel strikes as mere "nuisance value." On July 22, he downplayed the significance of the attacks, shifting away from the "tit-for-tat" approach that characterized the conflict. Despite asserting complete control over the strait, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has not announced any retaliatory military operations since the last reported strike on July 29.
This shift in strategy contrasts with Trump's earlier approach, which involved a series of retaliatory strikes on Iran for 16 consecutive days, including 13 nights of attacks.
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