Trump urges Iran to “give up” as Israeli strikes kill nine in Lebanon

The war around Iran entered another tense phase on Thursday as US President Donald Trump urged Tehran to “give up”, while Israeli air strikes killed at least nine people in southern Lebanon.

Trump said the US blockade of Iranian ports had been successful and suggested that Iran had little room left to manoeuvre. His comments came as oil prices continued to face pressure from the conflict and from uncertainty around shipping routes, ports and the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon killed at least nine people. The attacks added another front of pressure to a conflict that has already drawn in Iran, Israel, the United States, Lebanon and armed groups across the region.

Trump hardens his message to Tehran

Trump’s latest remarks point to a harder US public position.

By saying Iran should “give up”, the president framed the blockade as a tool of pressure rather than just a military measure. Washington appears to be betting that cutting off Iranian ports, restricting trade and keeping pressure on energy routes will force Tehran into concessions.

But there is no clear sign that Iran’s leadership is ready to accept US demands. Previous Iranian statements have suggested that Tehran views major concessions under military pressure as surrender, especially on issues linked to sovereignty, ports, the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear programme.

That makes the blockade one of the central pressure points of the war. It is not only about military strategy. It is also about economic pain, global oil markets and whether Iran can be forced into negotiations from a weakened position.

Lebanon front remains dangerous

The Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon show that the conflict is not limited to Iran itself.

Lebanon has become one of the most sensitive parts of the wider confrontation. Israel says its operations are aimed at security threats linked to Hezbollah and other armed actors. But repeated strikes risk deepening instability inside Lebanon and increasing the chance of a wider regional escalation.

Axios reported that Trump has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to keep Lebanon operations limited to “surgical” strikes and avoid a full return to war there. That suggests Washington is trying to maintain pressure on Iran while preventing the Lebanon front from spiralling out of control.

The problem is that the line between limited strikes and a wider war can collapse quickly. Every attack creates pressure for retaliation, and every civilian or high-profile death raises the political cost for all sides.

US officials defend the war at home

The conflict is also becoming a major political issue inside the United States.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the Iran war before Congress on Wednesday, rejecting criticism that the conflict has become a “quagmire”. His testimony came as lawmakers questioned the administration’s justification for the war, its cost and its long-term strategy.

The debate matters because Trump’s position abroad is now tied to pressure at home. If the war becomes longer, more expensive or more economically painful, the administration may face growing domestic criticism.

Reuters reported that the war has coincided with higher gasoline prices and a drop in Trump’s approval rating, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

That gives the White House an incentive to show that its strategy is working — which may explain Trump’s increasingly direct language toward Tehran.

Hormuz and oil remain central

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important pressure points in the war.

The US blockade of Iranian ports is directly linked to the wider question of how energy flows through the region. Al Jazeera has also reported on efforts by Iranian-linked shipping networks to evade the blockade through methods such as fake flags, shell companies and disabled tracking signals.

This is why the conflict has global consequences. Even if fighting remains concentrated in the Middle East, disruption around ports, shipping routes and oil flows affects international markets.

For Iran, Hormuz is leverage. For the US and its allies, keeping trade routes open is a strategic priority. For global markets, uncertainty around the strait can quickly translate into price shocks.

The bigger picture

The latest updates show a war that is becoming more complex, not less.

Trump is trying to increase pressure on Tehran through blockade and public messaging. Israel is continuing military action beyond Iran, including in Lebanon. US officials are defending the war domestically. Iran, meanwhile, has not shown clear signs of accepting the kind of concessions Washington wants.

The result is a dangerous stalemate.

The US can increase economic pressure. Israel can continue strikes. Iran can resist and use regional leverage. But none of these moves guarantee a quick end to the conflict.

For now, the war appears to be moving on several tracks at once: military strikes, economic blockade, oil-market pressure, congressional scrutiny and regional spillover.

That makes the coming days critical.

If diplomacy does not gain momentum, the conflict may continue expanding across the region — with Lebanon, Hormuz and global energy markets carrying much of the risk.