US President Donald Trump, along with government officials, on Wednesday has considered to target the oil shipments from Iran in order to increase the pressure for talks.
US officials said that Trump administration representatives had considered seizing more tankers carrying Iranian oil but decided against it, citing concerns over likely retaliation from Tehran and potential effects on global oil markets.
According to a post of ‘The Wall Street Journal’ on X, “Trump administration officials have discussed whether to seize additional tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil to pressure Tehran but have held off.”
The post also said that the US government is concerned about the regime’s near-certain retaliation and the impact on global oil markets.
Current scenario
The US government is surging firepower to the Middle East as President Trump continues to pressure Iran. There’s a fleet of warships, or what Trump refers to as the ‘Armada’ near the Iranian territory right now. So far, the US has 12 warships near the Iranian region.
That includes the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which is travelling with three guided-missile destroyers in the Northern Arabian Sea. It also has three littoral combat ships in the Persian Gulf. And submarines are likely nearby as well, though their locations are highly classified.
Even after its 12-day war with Israel in June, the Iranian capital Tehran still has thousands of mid and short-range missiles that it could fire at U.S. bases and allies. And it will disrupt the shipping traffic in the Gulf, which could severely impact the global oil market.
US-Iran nuclear talks
Iran already has refused to halt uranium enrichment during nuclear talks with senior United States officials in Oman on February 7, 2026. This marked the first round of negotiations between the two countries since US and Israeli strikes last year.
The discussions were attended by Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, and US diplomat Steve Witkoff, with Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi acting as mediator.
During the talks, Iran rejected calls to stop enriching uranium, a key element that can be used to make nuclear weapons if processed to high levels. To prevent weaponisation, Tehran proposed monitoring its nuclear program through agreed checks and balances.
The negotiations followed US President Donald Trump’s warning of potential military action against Iran if it did not reach a nuclear deal or continued to use force against protestors.
Also Read: Iran refuses to stop uranium enrichment amid talks with the US
