The United States has not conducted retaliatory military strikes against Iran in response to a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, despite earlier threats from President Donald Trump to deliver severe consequences. This marks a shift from the administration's prior approach.
On July 7, after declaring a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran was "over," Trump threatened significant strikes on Iran if commercial vessels were targeted in these vital waterways. He stated on his social media platform on July 22 that any future attacks by Iran on ships would result in the U.S. "bombing and destroying ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT, including those located next to, or in, the Capital City of Tehran."
However, nearly two weeks after these pronouncements and following approximately 11 commercial vessel strikes in the Strait of Hormuz or Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the U.S. has not announced any military responses. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for American forces in the Middle East, has not publicized operations in response to these incidents. The last retaliatory strikes by the U.S. that were made public occurred in late July.
President Trump recently downplayed attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, characterizing them as having only "nuisance value." This statement represents a departure from established U.S. policy, which previously emphasized protecting freedom of navigation in the strait through regular retaliation.
Despite ongoing attacks and a noticeable decrease in commercial shipping traffic, Trump asserted that the U.S. maintains "complete control" of the Strait of Hormuz. Ship tracking data from Kpler indicated a 17% decline in vessel crossings on a recent Tuesday compared to the previous day, with six vessels exiting and four entering the Persian Gulf.
This period of U.S. military restraint contrasts with the strategy employed earlier in the summer. Beginning July 7, following Iran's attacks on three commercial vessels, the U.S. initiated strikes against Iranian targets as "retribution." This response occurred after the memorandum of understanding between the two nations effectively ended. From the time Trump declared the MOU "dead" until the last publicly announced U.S. strike on July 29, roughly 17 commercial vessels were hit. During that 22-day period, the U.S. responded to these attacks on 16 days, including a sequence of 13 consecutive nights of strikes on Iran.
Earlier in July, Trump told reporters, "We just hit them very hard, and I say we hit them 20-1. Every time they hit us, we're going to hit them 20... And when they hit, we hit back much harder." Senior Trump administration officials, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, echoed this assertive military posture on multiple occasions. Rubio stated on July 22 that the president's policy was "a head for an eye" and that Iran "will pay a very heavy price."