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  "path": "/partner/us-ready-resume-iran-attacks",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-05T14:48:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://nukta.com",
  "tags": [
    "month-long truce",
    "political solution",
    "Tehran would not surrender"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\n\nU.S. forces are prepared to resume combat operations against Iran if ordered, Washington's top military officer said Tuesday, as the Pentagon threatened a \"devastating\" response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping. The warning followed a sharp escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, where both sides exchanged fire in the most serious clashes since a nearly month-long truce began.\n\n#### What did the U.S. military say about resuming combat operations against Iran?\n\nGeneral Dan Caine said U.S. Central Command and the broader joint force remained ready to resume major combat operations against Iran if ordered. He warned that no adversary should mistake U.S. restraint for a lack of resolve. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth added that while the U.S. was \"not looking for a fight,\" Iranian attacks would face \"overwhelming and devastating American firepower.\"\n\n#### What triggered the latest escalation in the Strait of Hormuz?\n\nIran fired missiles and drones at U.S. forces and UAE territory, including an energy facility, on Monday. Washington said it struck six Iranian boats it identified as threats to commercial shipping. The clashes represented the sharpest escalation since the truce and came as Iran's chief negotiator warned Tehran \"had not even started yet\" in the crucial waterway.\n\nIran denied any of its combat ships were hit in the U.S. strikes but accused Washington of killing five civilian passengers on boats. Tehran said its attacks were a response to the U.S. military's attempt to guide ships through what it called \"forbidden passages\" of the strait. The operation, named Project Freedom by the Trump administration, saw at least one ship, a Maersk vessel, successfully transit the Hormuz under U.S. escort on Tuesday.\n\n#### Is the Strait of Hormuz closed and what is at stake for the global economy?\n\nThe strait remains contested, with both the U.S. and Iran maintaining dueling maritime blockades. The clashes have rattled global markets, with stocks falling Tuesday after crude prices surged the previous day. Soaring energy costs have created economic pain worldwide and pose a political problem for Trump ahead of midterm elections.\n\nWashington's European allies have also expressed alarm. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said the attacks were \"unacceptable\" and warned that regional insecurity has \"direct consequences for Europe.\" German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Tehran to return to the negotiating table, echoing similar calls from French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Macron was set to speak with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian later Tuesday.\n\n#### What did the UAE say about Iran's missile and drone attacks?\n\nThe UAE said Iran launched four cruise missiles at its territory, with three intercepted and one falling into the sea. Iran also fired drones at a tanker linked to the UAE's state-owned oil giant ADNOC. The UAE described the attacks as \"a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable transgression,\" while Saudi Arabia called for efforts to reach a political solution.\n\n#### Where does the broader Middle East conflict stand?\n\nThe war, which erupted more than two months ago with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, has spread across the Middle East and disrupted the global economy. Negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain deadlocked, with only one round of direct talks held so far. Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the U.S.-led actions had put shipping security at risk but vowed Tehran would not surrender control of the strait.\n\nIsrael remained on high alert Monday, monitoring the situation after the U.S. said it downed Iranian missiles and drones. Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have continued exchanging attacks despite a ceasefire in Lebanon. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said a security deal and an end to Israeli strikes were required before any meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which Washington has been seeking to arrange.",
  "title": "US forces ready to resume combat operations against Iran over Strait of Hormuz"
}