US President Donald Trump has arrived at yet another fork in the road on Iran. But each time he reaches such a point, his options only become more narrow and the costs of any course of action grow, according to CNN.

The Trump administration explained Sunday that a pause in air strikes — now in its third night, after 13 straight nights of attacks — was meant to create space for diplomacy. But it also warned it was "locked and loaded" for another possible escalation, the CNN said in a report on Monday.

There are some signs of diplomatic activity. Iran said it hosted talks with Oman at deputy foreign minister level in recent days. But there's so far no sign the Islamic Republic will shift on its core demand, which caused the latest flare-up with the US: its insistence on controlling shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump finds himself back in a familiar spot. He's tried to coerce Iranian concessions with intensified attacks. But this plan is not working any better now that it did after the initial round of fighting. He could increase the pressure by deploying ground troops, a move that might take advantage of the US military edge. But this would risk significant US casualties in an already deeply unpopular war.

Nearly five months into a war he'd said would take a few weeks, Trump keeps trying to create maneuvering space against Tehran. But all the strategy seems to do is leave him with less room and worse choices.

And the political heat is rising. A jump in oil prices last week creates the likelihood of higher gasoline costs and more angst for the majority of Americans who oppose the war — although Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell more than 5% Sunday. An alternative oil shipping route through the Red Sea is now being threatened by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Global crude inventories are approaching critically low levels, stoking fears of a worsening energy crisis. All of this is unfolding ahead of the fast approaching midterm elections in November in which Trump's Republicans already face a tough ride.

'We need something different'

As has been the case for weeks, Trump's options appear unpalatable. This may explain his gyration last week between threats of huge force and claims that Iran is begging to talk. Given the failure to shift the geopolitics of the war, such rhetoric seems aimed more toward domestic audiences than Tehran.

END/CNN/ASA

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