Published: March 21, 2026 6:39 am
Author: RT
The US is reportedly weighing additional troop deployments as its naval presence grows around the Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump has ruled out a ceasefire with Iran as the war in the Middle East enters its fourth week, arguing that Washington holds the upper hand militarily.
”I don’t want to do a ceasefire… You know you don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side,” Trump told reporters outside the White House on Friday.
He said US strikes had “knocked out everything” – Iran’s navy, air force and air defenses, adding that Tehran was “finished” militarily.
Trump branded NATO allies “cowards” on Friday and warned the bloc was a “paper tiger” without US leadership, urging partners to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz – a key global oil shipping route.
Speaking to reporters later, he downplayed the waterway’s importance for Washington, arguing that countries more dependent on it should take responsibility for restoring flows. “We don’t use that strait directly. The United States doesn’t need it. Europe needs it. Korea, Japan, China — many others,” he said, adding that “at a certain point, it’ll open itself.”
However, US media have reported that American amphibious ships and thousands of Marines are being deployed toward the region as part of a broader military buildup, potentially to reinforce naval operations around the strategic choke point.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, marking the Persian New Year of Nowruz, said the country had dealt “a dizzying blow” to its enemies and described the US‑Israeli assault as a “gross miscalculation.” An Iranian military spokesman also warned that “even parks, recreational areas, and tourist destinations anywhere in the world will no longer be safe” for Tehran’s enemies.
Fighting has continued across multiple fronts, with reported US and Israeli strikes in Iran and Lebanon even as millions across the region marked the Muslim celebration Eid al‑Fitr. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had launched the 70th wave of its ‘True Promise 4’ operation, targeting sites linked to US forces and Israel across Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq and Bahrain, as well as areas of northern and central Israel.
Energy markets remain volatile amid disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with Brent crude hovering around $110–112 a barrel after briefly spiking above $115 on Thursday, remaining well above levels seen at the start of March.
READ MORE: World’s largest gas field hit: How close is a global energy crisis?
Here are the latest developments:
- Trump suggested that the US would help other countries police the Strait of Hormuz if they answered his call, claiming it would be “an easy” operation.
- According to Lloyd’s List, several countries, including India, Pakistan, China, Iraq, and Malaysia are directly discussing the procedures to allow the transit of their ships with Iran.
- Israel said it had killed two more senior Iranian commanders, identifying them as Esmail Ahmadi, intelligence chief of the Basij paramilitary force, and Mehdi Rostami Shamastan, a senior Intelligence Ministry official.
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