Sen Roger Wicker urges Trump to resume Iran strikes, signals doubts over diplomacy
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump is facing fresh pressure from within his own party after Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker called on the administration to resume military strikes against Iran, despite the White House extending its ceasefire to pursue negotiations.
Wicker said the administration should not rely on Tehran to uphold any future agreement and argued that military pressure must continue.
His comments came as US officials prepared for another round of diplomatic talks and Iran warned Washington over its ongoing naval blockade.
Wicker urges Trump to resume strikes on Iran
Wicker, one of the Senate’s most influential Republicans on military matters, publicly urged Trump to abandon the pause in military action and authorize additional strikes on Iran’s military infrastructure.
“Our Commander-in-Chief should direct his skilled military leaders to finish destroying Iran’s conventional military capabilities and eliminating any last remnants of their nuclear program,” Wicker wrote in a social media post. “This is the only way to ensure lasting stability in the region.”
The Mississippi senator’s comments mark one of the strongest calls from a senior Republican for renewed military action since Trump announced earlier this week that he was extending the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to allow space for negotiations.
The White House has defended the pause, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirming on Friday, April 24, that special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would travel to Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday, April 25, to restart peace talks aimed at ending the conflict.
Trump has framed the ceasefire extension as part of a broader effort to secure a long-term agreement while maintaining leverage over Tehran.
Despite the pause in direct strikes, US naval forces continue enforcing a blockade of Iranian shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz, and a third US aircraft carrier has arrived in the region.
Wicker, however, signaled skepticism that diplomacy would produce meaningful concessions, saying Iran’s leadership could not be trusted to comply with a negotiated settlement.
Pentagon signals readiness as Iran warns on blockade
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking at the Pentagon, defended the administration’s military posture while emphasizing that the US remains prepared to escalate if directed by the president.
“President Trump’s fortitude is unshakable, and his mission is crystal clear,” Hegseth said. “The president said it again yesterday: we have all the time in the world, and we’re not anxious for a deal.”
At the same briefing, Hegseth said the US was prepared to inflict “maximum violence” if negotiations failed or if Trump decided to resume hostilities.
Meanwhile, Iran’s top military command warned Washington against continuing its blockade of Iranian ports.
According to Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the United States would “face the response of Iran’s powerful armed forces” if the blockade remains in place.
The command said Iran possesses “greater authority and readiness than before to defend sovereignty, territory, and national interests” and is “ready and determined” while monitoring US military movements in the region.
