Trump Says the US is Deliberately “Low-Keying” the War with Iran. Here’s What it Actually Means Militarily
President Donald Trump said Sunday the United States is “low-keying it” with Iran, signaling he is holding off on renewed military strikes and instead letting mounting economic pressure squeeze Tehran as the nearly six-month conflict drags on.
Trump made the remarks in a phone interview with Axios, a day after Iran laid out new conditions for lifting its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carried about one-fifth of the world’s commercial oil shipments before the war began.
US officials told Axios that Trump had leaned toward resuming major combat operations against Iran a week earlier but was persuaded to de-escalate, a decision that now shapes how the Pentagon and White House are approaching the conflict’s next phase.
“We are low keying it,” Trump told Axios, adding that Washington is “only semi-negotiating” with Iran while its economy deteriorates. He pointed to Iran’s inflation and depleted finances as reasons to expect the standoff to resolve on US terms without further military action, comparing the situation to a chess game, according to Axios and The Hill.
What “Low-Keying It” Means for Military Strategy
The comment marks a shift from Trump’s posture a week earlier, when US officials said he was leaning toward resuming major combat operations against Iran before being convinced to de-escalate, according to Axios.
Rather than new strikes, the current approach relies on the existing naval blockade and economic sanctions to pressure Tehran, with roughly eight million barrels of oil moving out of the Gulf nightly through the strait’s southern lane in coordination with the US, Axios reported.
A separate report cited by the Times of Israel said Trump is preparing to declare victory in the war once the strait reopens, even without securing a deal to end Iran’s nuclear program, suggesting the reopening of the waterway, not a comprehensive nuclear agreement, may now be the administration’s practical benchmark for success.
Where Negotiations Stand
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, said Saturday that reopening the strait now requires the US to end its naval blockade, lift sanctions, pay war reparations, withdraw its military from Iran and halt attacks on Tehran’s allies, according to The Hill. Those conditions were previously tied to a broader nuclear deal but are now being presented as prerequisites just for reopening the waterway, according to Axios.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday that no direct negotiations are underway between Iran and the US, though Tehran confirmed that messages are being exchanged through intermediaries, according to ABC News.
A June memorandum of understanding meant to pave the way toward peace talks unraveled within days of being signed, according to CNN.
Domestic Pressure on Trump
The conflict is straining US relations with longtime allies and polling as unpopular among Americans, according to The Hill. Gas prices have risen accordingly. The average US price for a gallon of regular gasoline was about $4 on Monday morning, up from about $3.14 a year earlier, according to AAA figures cited by The Hill.
Oil prices also climbed after Iran said no negotiations were underway. Brent crude rose about 1.2% to $84.58 a barrel Sunday, and US crude rose about 1.1% to $79.28 a barrel, according to CNN.
A Widening Regional Conflict
The war is also spreading beyond direct US-Iran exchanges. The Iran-aligned Houthi rebel group claimed Sunday strikes on Saudi Arabian forces in Yemen and a major oil refinery, according to CNN, while Saudi Arabia has carried out its own strikes on Houthi targets. A separate Houthi attack on the Red Sea port city of Mocha killed at least four soldiers and three civilians Sunday, according to ABC News.
