China also stopped short of publicly committing to any concrete intervention, despite both Washington and Beijing wanting the strategic waterway reopened.
The Chinese foreign ministry merely said the conflict “should never have happened” and “has no reason to continue”.
Hormuz remains flashpoint
Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz to most commercial shipping after the US-Israeli strikes that began on February 28. Although a ceasefire was announced on April 7, Tehran has continued linking any full reopening of the waterway to an end to the US naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Before the war, nearly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the narrow strait.
Trump has repeatedly warned Iran that the US could resume military action if shipping does not return to normal.
“We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon, we want the straits open,” Trump said during his Beijing visit.
Netanyahu has also warned the war is “not over,” insisting Iran’s nuclear material and enrichment sites must still be eliminated before the conflict can truly end.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed this week that Washington has prepared both escalation and de-escalation plans.
“We have a plan to escalate if necessary,” Hegseth told lawmakers.
According to The New York Times, possible options include expanded bombing campaigns against Iranian military infrastructure and even special operations raids targeting deeply buried nuclear material at Isfahan.
US officials told the paper that several hundred Special Operations troops were deployed earlier this year specifically to preserve that option.
Military buildup remains in place
Despite the ceasefire, the US has kept a massive military presence in the region.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said more than 50,000 troops, two aircraft carriers, Navy destroyers and dozens of combat aircraft remain ready for “major combat operations” if ordered.
The report said Iran has meanwhile restored access to most of its missile infrastructure, including 30 of the 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials have also warned they are prepared for renewed hostilities.
“Our armed forces are ready to deliver a well-deserved response to any aggression,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said earlier this week.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran remains open to diplomacy but does not trust Washington after previous negotiations were interrupted by military strikes.
Political pressure grows on Trump
The prolonged conflict is increasingly becoming a political burden for Trump ahead of US congressional elections later this year.
While the president has repeatedly declared the military campaign a success, critics note that Iran has neither surrendered its nuclear programme nor fully reopened Hormuz.
Oil prices rose again on Friday amid fears that the conflict could intensify further if diplomacy collapses entirely, Reuters reported.
A Senior Associate Editor with more than 30 years in the media, Stephen N.R. curates, edits and publishes impactful stories for Gulf News — both in print and online — focusing on Middle East politics, student issues and explainers on global topics.
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For the past many years, he has brought that same dedication to the Gulf News digital team, where he curates stories, crafts explainers and helps keep both the web and print editions sharp and engaging.