Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, March 22, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, March 22, 2026
US to Israel: Hormuz operation will take weeks; we won’t let Iran hold world hostage — report
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
A US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle takes off from Aviano Air Base, Italy, for an air strike mission in support of NATO Operation Allied Force on March 28, 1999. (Public domain/ Senior Airman Mitch Fuqua, US Air Force/File)
White House officials have told their Israeli counterparts that a potential US operation to re-open the Strait of Hormuz will take several weeks, Channel 12 reports.
If Iran does not give in to US President Trump’s 48-hour deadline, issued yesterday, to open the key shipping lane, the war will be extended to make time for the US operation, according to the report.
US officials are telling the Israelis that a change in strategy is needed, and that Washington will not allow Iran to take the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil flows, hostage. “We will use this to make them collapse from within,” say US officials, according to the network.
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
The Times of Israel Community.
JOIN THE TOI COMMUNITY
Already a member? Log in here