strikeMay 10, 2026

Waltz says 'It is up to President Trump' to determine if Iran violated ceasefire

Summary

Waltz says 'It is up to President Trump' to determine if Iran violated ceasefire Retired Adm. McRaven: There's no ceasefire "when you're shooting at each other." Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Sunday that President Donald Trump is giving diplomacy with Iran "every chance" before restarting military strikes, even as the two countries continue to exchange fire after Trump declared a ceasefire. "[It is] up to President Trump as commander-in-chief to determine what constitutes a violation, when to go back to military action or when to continue to give diplomacy a chance," Waltz told ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz. Trump said that the ceasefire with Iran had not been violated despite Iran and the U.S. taking shots at each other over the Strait of Hormuz, telling ABC News that the strikes were "just a love tap." Iran accused the U.S. of violating the ceasefire. After weeks of negotiations with no agreement, Waltz said Sunday that Trump will continue to pursue diplomacy. "When the mediators, in this case Pakistan, ask us ... to give this negotiation another chance before we go back to bombing Iran, then I think that's completely an appropriate choice for President Trump to make," Waltz said. "He is giving diplomacy every chance we possibly can before going back to hostilities." Retired Adm. William McRaven, who commanded U.S. Special Operations Command when the U.S. killed Osama Bin Laden 15 years ago, appeared after Waltz on "This Week" and said it was clear that the ceasefire had been violated. "Of course, the ceasefire has been violated, Martha," McRaven said. "Now, I understand Ambassador Waltz's position. At the end of the day, this is about hopefully getting the Iranians to agree to the proposal ... the fact of the matter is, when you're shooting at each other, then you no longer have a ceasefire." The U.S. submitted a proposal to Iran that would have Iran gradually open the Strait of Hormuz and have the U.S. ease its blockade over a 30-day period, according to officials familiar with the matter. While in its current form, the one-page memo doesn't include terms related to Iran's nuclear program, the expectation is that during that time, the two countries would negotiate how to handle Iran's enriched uranium. The Trump administration has repeatedly emphasized that preventing Iran from enriching uranium with the capability to build a nuclear weapon is a key objective of the war. Iran has maintained that it is not seeking to build a nuclear weapon. Iranian state media reported on Sunday that Tehran had sent its response to the U.S.-proposed text outlining a possible end to the war through Pakistani mediators but did not provide details. McRaven said Sunday that he thought 30 days was too short of a period to negotiate a significant nuclear deal. "It took over two years to negotiate the JCPOA. So this idea that somehow we will negotiate, you know, a very challenging nuclear deal with the Iranians, I think 30 days is way too compressed of time," McRaven said, referring to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiated under the Obama administration that was officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Raddatz also pressed Waltz on Trump's threat to Iran several weeks ago that it had to open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or face the destruction of its largest power plants. Trump did not follow through with that threat, and the strait still is not open, sending global oil prices soaring over recent weeks. Waltz defended the timeline by criticizing Iran for its obstruction of the strait, saying he is pushing for a U.N. resolution to prevent any country from blocking shipping in an international waterway. "I think we should take a step back -- 50 days to deal with a 50-year-old problem," Waltz said. "This isn’t the first time Iran has either threatened or actually done this ... that’s why we’re pushing now another U.N. resolution that says Iran cannot do this. No country can do what Iran is doing in international waterways."

Perspectives

Iranian Official

Iran strongly rejects U.S. claims of a valid ceasefire, viewing American strikes over the Strait of Hormuz as blatant foreign aggression that violates Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Despite Washington's attempts to downplay its attacks as mere "love taps," Tehran has exercised its legitimate right to resist such provocations while exposing the hypocrisy of U.S. diplomacy. Iran calls on mediators to recognize that true de-escalation requires an end to external interference, not further threats of military action.

Israeli

From Israel's perspective, Iran's continued strikes across the Strait of Hormuz despite a declared ceasefire underscore Tehran's relentless existential threat through its missile arsenal and proxy networks, necessitating robust defensive action rather than indefinite diplomacy. While the Trump administration weighs violations and pursues mediation, such pauses risk emboldening the regime's aggression against the Jewish state and its allies. Retired Adm. McRaven rightly noted there is no ceasefire when forces are actively exchanging fire.

Neutral

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz stated on Sunday that President Trump, as commander in chief, would decide whether Iran had violated the declared ceasefire and whether to resume military strikes. Trump said the ceasefire remained in effect despite reported exchanges of fire, describing the incidents as “just a love tap,” while Iran accused the United States of violating the agreement. Retired Adm. William McRaven said there is no ceasefire when the parties continue shooting at each other.

Western

U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz stated that President Trump, as commander-in-chief, retains authority to assess any Iranian ceasefire violations and decide on resuming precision strikes to neutralize threats in the Strait of Hormuz. Despite mutual exchanges of fire, Trump has prioritized diplomatic channels via mediators like Pakistan to achieve strategic de-escalation, while dismissing limited Iranian actions as inconsequential. Retired Adm. McRaven underscored that active hostilities preclude any genuine ceasefire, aligning with NATO-aligned objectives to deter Iranian aggression through calibrated force if needed.

Pro-Peace

Despite ongoing U.S.-Iran exchanges of fire after a declared ceasefire, the threat of resumed strikes risks further civilian deaths, displacement, and humanitarian strain across the region, including threats to safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz. Officials note that mediators like Pakistan have urged more time for talks, yet military action remains an option at the president's discretion. Committing fully to diplomacy instead of any escalation would spare countless lives and avert the broader human costs of renewed hostilities.

Global South

From a non-aligned viewpoint, Washington’s insistence that only President Trump can judge ceasefire violations exposes a neo-colonial double standard, allowing U.S. strikes near the Strait of Hormuz while dismissing Iran’s sovereignty and mutual accusations of breaches. Pakistan’s mediation efforts underscore how Global South actors are drawn into great-power conflicts yet remain sidelined by unilateral U.S. decisions that bypass multilateral institutions. This pattern reveals the persistent failure of post-colonial frameworks to constrain external military dominance over regional autonomy.

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Sources

ABC NewsBy ABC News
Waltz says 'It is up to President Trump' to determine if Iran violated ceasefire Retired Adm. McRaven: There's no ceasefire "when you're shooting at each other." Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Sunday that President Donald Trump is giving diplomacy with Ir…

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Another ship hit in Hormuz as Houthis add to regional risks A tanker has been struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah, UK Maritime Trade Operations says on Tuesday - Hormuz was deserted on Jul 21, with no ships observed transiting, data shows.

PHOTO: REUTERS [SINGAPORE] Another tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz as renewed hostilities empty the waterway, while a threat by Houthi rebels to blockade Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea heightened regional maritime risks. The Kaifan, an oil products tanker owned by Kuwait Oil Tanker, was the vessel attacked in the strait, according to security consultancy EOS Risk Group.

The ship was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah, UK Maritime Trade Operations said earlier on Tuesday (Jul 21), without naming the tanker. Kuwait Oil Tanker did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment, and ship tracking data shows Kaifan last signalled its location more than a month ago near Sohar, Oman.

The attack on the Kuwaiti tanker follows strikes in recent days on vessels owned by Dynacom Tankers Management. Hormuz was deserted on Tuesday, with no ships observed transiting, data shows. Iran’s recent spate of attacks has focused on oil tankers shuttling through the strait along the Omani coast, often with their transponders turned off.

Earlier strikes have affected major operators such as South Korea’s Sinokor Group and Greece’s Dynacom, which have been instrumental in sustaining crude flows during much of the war with tankers sailing through Hormuz dark. In the week ended Jul 19, Hormuz crossings averaged seven tankers each day, compared with 16 per day a week earlier, said Rahul Kapoor, global head of shipping analytics and research for S&P Global Energy.

“Ship operators remain increasingly cautious, with risk tolerances continuing to be tested,” he said. An empty Sinokor supertanker, Plata Singapore, that was sailing towards the Gulf of Oman with the aim of reaching Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura in the Persian Gulf, deviated from its path on Sunday, according to ship tracking data.

The vessel is currently in the Arabian Sea. The South Korean company did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. The threat by Iran-backed Houthi militants to blockade Saudi Arabia’s maritime traffic has added another element of risk.

Shipowners with vessels seeking to transit the Red Sea were advised to review their affiliations with the kingdom, with at least one supertanker in nearby waters switching its broadcast to say that it belongs to the Indian government. The India-flagged supertanker, Desh Viraat, which is half-filled with crude from Fujairah, began sailing southwest earlier this week towards Bab el Mandeb in the Gulf of Aden, signalling it had armed guards onboard.

Soon after the Houthi threat on Monday, it switched that signal to “Govt. of India Await”, making clear that it has links to New Delhi. Desh Viraat’s owner, the Shipping Corporation of India, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

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“If you have an alternate voyage to take, then you will take that and avoid those in the region.” BLOOMBERG Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox.

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Opening summary: Iran claims attacks on strait of Hormuz ships amid fresh US strikes Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East crisis. Iran attacked a tanker in the strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announced they were imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.

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Saudi Arabia said it would take “all necessary measures to protect its vessels in accordance with international law”. A 10 consecutive night of US airstrikes has not compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.

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The US military’s Central Command said its latest airstrikes were to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait and included hitting military command centres and missile and drone launch sites. Iranian media reported strikes in parts of the country including Bandar Abbas, Tabriz and Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power.

Iran’s launched attacks in response against Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, which all host US forces. Oil prices softened after hitting their highest levels in more than a month in the previous session. Brent crude futures eased 0.4% to $88.87 a barrel by 0052 GMT on Tuesday while US West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.

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