President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Washington knows where Iran has rolled out new military equipment during the ongoing ceasefire, and will destroy it quickly should war resume.
"They may have brought in some light stuff during the ceasefire, and we know exactly where it is, so it will be knocked out within the first 15 minutes," Trump said.
Earlier in the day, the US president told the Axios news website that he rejected a proposal from Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, opting instead to maintain a naval blockade to pressure Tehran on its nuclear program.
"The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking," Trump told the news outlet. "It is going to be worse for" Iran.
He claimed Iran is seeking an agreement to lift the US blockade on the strategically important waterway.
Trump claimed that the inability to export oil has left Iranian infrastructure "close to exploding."
While Trump views the blockade as a powerful lever, sources told Axios that US Central Command has developed plans for a "short and powerful" wave of aerial strikes to break the diplomatic stalemate if Iran does not yield.
Trump has yet to authorize kinetic action, said sources.
