Trump announced he will hold a press conference with the U.S. military on Monday at 1 PM Eastern Time, just 3 hours before the expiration of his '48-hour warning' to Iran. He called Tuesday the 'Power Plants and Bridges Day,' saying if Iran doesn’t 'open the damn strait,' there will be consequences. Iran is even less likely to open the strait now, as they still hold an asymmetric advantage. Using the capital markets for pressure and keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed remain Iran’s main bargaining chips in this conflict. In fact, U.S. intelligence also suggests that 'it’s unlikely the Strait of Hormuz will reopen anytime soon.' Iran has started to learn how to use the strait as leverage to divide opponents and win allies, already allowing several countries’ oil tankers and merchant ships to pass through. What will Trump do? If the strait doesn’t open, will he fold his hand, or will he double down and escalate further? The latter seems more likely in the short term—after all, he’s in a tough spot, and backing down now would be a major loss of face. In fact, just yesterday, the U.S. and Israel bombed an Iranian petrochemical facility. At this point, it’s worth revisiting the mindset we discussed earlier: https://(x.com)/qinbafrank/status/2035530916496605381?s=46&t=k6rimWsEbo2D2tXolYcM-A Iran’s approach: 'Better to throw one punch now than take a hundred later.' Trump’s approach: 'What you can’t win on the battlefield, you won’t win at the negotiation table either.'