US-Iran Conflict Reaches 90-Day Mark Amid Capitol Tug-of-War and Critical Standoff in the Strait of Hormuz

US-Iran Conflict Reaches 90-Day Mark Amid Capitol Tug-of-War and Critical Standoff in the Strait of Hormuz

The global geopolitical landscape has reached a point of intense friction this June 2026. The direct conflict between the United States and Iran, triggered by attacks from US and Israeli forces, has now surpassed the 90-day mark, sparking an institutional crisis in Washington and severe shocks to the global energy economy.

On Capitol Hill, the US House of Representatives delivered one of the most direct challenges to Donald Trump’s administration from the legislature since the onset of hostilities. In a tight 215-to-208 vote, the Democratic opposition, bolstered by four breaking Republican lawmakers, passed a War Powers Resolution based on the 1973 statute. This legal framework dictates that the Executive has up to 60 days (with a maximum 30-day extension) to maintain troops in combat without congressional authorization. Because the confrontation has dragged on for three months without formal approval, lawmakers intervened, arguing that the White House is violating congressional prerogatives. While carrying heavy political symbolism and underscoring waning support for the war due to soaring domestic fuel prices, the measure faces steep practical hurdles, relying on approval from a Republican-majority Senate and a near-certain presidential veto.

On the economic front, all eyes remain on the Strait of Hormuz, the maritime chokepoint through which one-fifth of the world's oil transits. Iran responded to military hostilities by instituting shipping restrictions, naval threats, sea mining, and the collection of illegal fees from commercial vessels. Washington’s counter-offensive established a strict naval blockade along the Iranian coast, paralyzing the country's maritime trade and driving sharp volatility in global crude oil prices.

Diplomats are attempting to broker a temporary 60-day Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to reopen commercial shipping lanes, but President Trump’s promise to normalize traffic "immediately upon signing" is stalled by irreconcilable demands:

Washington's Demands: The immediate and unrestricted reopening of both lanes of the strait, a definitive end to Iranian fee collections, and the complete removal of naval mines within a 30-day window.

Tehran's Demands: The government of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei adamantly demands the prior lifting of the US naval blockade and the release of billions of dollars in Iranian assets currently frozen in international financial institutions due to economic sanctions.

Beyond a short-term commercial truce, the core of any long-term peace plan remains deadlocked over the nuclear issue. Maintaining an unyielding public rhetoric, President Donald Trump reiterated that his administration's ultimate goal is to definitively neutralize Iran's capacity to produce nuclear weapons. The formal proposal presented by the US administration requires Iran's current stockpile of enriched uranium to be either destroyed under international supervision or transferred for processing outside its borders, with operational frameworks being considered in Russia or China.