A senior White House figure has delivered a stark assessment of how long the conflict with Iran could continue if Tehran refuses to comply with President Donald Trump’s conditions.
Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security advisor, issued the message on Wednesday night.
His comments followed a two-week ceasefire agreed by the US and Iran on April 8. Iran had turned down a US-backed draft proposing a 45-day, phased ceasefire arrangement, instead putting forward its own 10-point peace plan.
In the latest escalation, the US has moved to block maritime traffic traveling to and from Iranian ports via the Strait of Hormuz, the vital route used for major oil shipments.
Speaking to Fox News as the blockade was underway, Miller warned: “This embargo is squeezing the economic life out of the Iranian regime, and the United States has the capacity to continue this indefinitely if Iran chooses the wrong path.”
He also lauded the US military posture and argued that Washington holds the upper hand in any talks with Tehran.
Trump has insisted Iran must end its nuclear enrichment activity, a stance he repeated while criticizing Pope Leo this week after the pontiff condemned the Trump administration. “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy … I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” the president wrote in a lengthy post.
During an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Miller said Trump ‘will not allow Iran to pursue or achieve weapons’, while maintaining that the president’s objective remains ‘peace’.
He said: “President Trump has made clear he wants peace, he wants a deal, he wants Iran to choose the right path. But he will not allow Iran to pursue or achieve weapons, and this embargo and every other option is on the table as President Trump seeks that final, safe, secure outcome.”
Trump has also threatened strikes against Iranian infrastructure, saying he would send the country ‘back to the stone age’.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed that tone on Thursday, telling Iran to ‘choose wisely’ or risk severe repercussions, including an intensified blockade and attacks on key facilities.
“In the meantime and for as long as it takes, we will maintain this successful blockade. But if Iran chooses poorly, then they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure and power and energy,” Hegseth said at a news conference.
Additional peace discussions are expected to take place in Pakistan at a later date.