President Trump gathered his top national security advisors in the Situation Room on Monday evening for a briefing on military options against Iran. The meeting came just hours after he announced he was suspending attacks that he claimed had been planned for Tuesday.

A ceasefire on life support

The US and Iran have been operating under a fragile ceasefire for roughly two months. Trump himself has described that arrangement as being on “life support.”

Washington has been tightening the screws on Tehran through intensified embargo measures. The estimated cost of the broader conflict has reached approximately $29B.

Meanwhile, Iran maintains control over the Strait of Hormuz, with a significant share of global oil…