Trump ends Iran talks as Pentagon weighs Gulf troop relocation

US President Donald Trump has ordered the suspension of all diplomatic talks with Tehran, signalling a shift toward a long-term strategy of economic and naval containment nearly six months into the conflict. The move, confirmed by a US official on Wednesday, 19 August, marks a transition from attempts at a rapid breakthrough to a policy of sustained pressure intended to force Iranian concessions. US halts diplomacy as naval blockade holds On social media, Trump declared that no further conversations with the Islamic Republic are scheduled, adding that the US naval blockade on Iranian waters remains \"in full force and effect.\" According to reports citing White House officials, the administration is moving from a strategy of immediate military escalation to one of \"strangling\" the Iranian economy over time. The decision follows the expiration of Iran\'s 60-day deadline for a diplomatic resolution. The Pentagon is simultaneously evaluating its regional footprint. Following attacks that killed six US service members in Kuwait in March and four in Jordan last month, US Central Command is considering moving forces away from fixed Gulf bases to locations in Jordan, Israel, or Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. The Washington Post reported that more than 200 US facilities have been damaged or destroyed during the conflict, prompting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to oversee \"prudent planning\" to reduce troop vulnerability. Tehran warns of military offensive In response to the…