U.S. Maintains Hormuz Blockade as Trump Rejects New Iranian Peace Proposal

President Donald Trump notified Congress on May 1 that the period of active hostilities with Iran, which began on February 28, has officially terminated. This move effectively sidesteps the 60-day War Powers Resolution deadline. Despite the formal end of combat operations, a fragile ceasefire remains in place while the United States maintains its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command reported that the blockade remains at 'full force' to prevent Iran from funding regional proxies. Diplomatic efforts hit a stalemate after President Trump rejected a new Iranian proposal delivered through Pakistani mediators. The proposal suggested a simultaneous unwinding of the blockade in exchange for security guarantees, but Trump stated he was 'not satisfied' with the terms. To further pressure Tehran, the U.S. Treasury added three Iranian currency exchange firms to its sanctions list, targeting the country's remaining financial lifelines. While no new military strikes occurred in the last 24 hours, internal reports indicate that U.S. Central Command has presented the President with 'short and powerful' contingency strike options targeting Iranian infrastructure. These plans would be considered if current diplomatic and economic pressures fail to reach a definitive resolution. Assessment reports published on May 1 confirmed that previous Iranian retaliatory strikes had damaged 16 of 19 U.S. regional installations, underlining the significant infrastructure toll of the recent conflict.