Trump says US has no immediate plan to strike Iran as Tehran vows Hormuz stays shut until demands are met

From the Newshound archive · first published 4 November 2026.

Trump told Fox News on Tuesday that the US would cut its nearly $4bn annual military aid package to Israel by year's end, claiming Netanyahu himself had proposed the move and that Israel "doesn't need it" — a surprise announcement timed to midterm election day. Despite a mounting military build-up in the Gulf, Trump is not planning an imminent direct strike on Iran.

Iran's Security Chief Mohsen Rezaei declared the Strait of Hormuz will stay shut until Washington "fully and explicitly" addresses Tehran's seven conditions, including war reparations and an end to the naval blockade.

A third US carrier strike group carrying 10,000 personnel is already heading to the Gulf, and a "defensive" raid on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz has already taken place.