How to end the ‘Hormuz war’

What the report says

Al Jazeera opinion writer Alan Eyre argues that the United States is struggling to find an exit from its conflict with Iran, now centered on the Strait of Hormuz. In the article, published on August 2, 2026, he says months of US bombing have not forced Tehran to yield, while the closure and disruption of the strait have increased pressure on Washington because of rising economic fallout and shortages tied to maritime traffic.

Eyre says President Donald Trump’s repeated threats of heavier strikes are unlikely to make Iran surrender, and could instead provoke retaliation against Gulf infrastructure. He contends that Iran’s leadership sees control over the waterway as a security necessity and that the US military cannot reliably reopen and keep the passage open through force alone. The piece also notes that US policy has shifted from nuclear demands to restoring shipping through the strait.

As a possible off-ramp, the article points to ongoing Iran-Oman discussions under Article 5 of a June Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. Eyre says this framework, involving Oman and other Gulf states, offers the most plausible short-term route to a settlement, though any deal would likely be fragile and could involve Iranian influence over maritime traffic. He adds that broader normalization would remain limited by sanctions, regional military deployments, and lingering distrust.