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Former NATO commander on Iran rejecting ceasefire proposal: ‘They still have cards to play’

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by Ashleigh Fields - 04/06/26 4:02 PM ET

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by Ashleigh Fields - 04/06/26 4:02 PM ET

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James Stavridis, a former NATO commander, on Monday said Iran hasn’t accepted a ceasefire because they “still have cards” to play in the war.

Stavridis, during an appearance on CNN’s “Situation Room,” said that “Iran wants to hold on to its high-value cards: number one, Strait of Hormuz closure, and number two, almost 1,000 pounds of enriched uranium.”

“So, they still have cards to play,” he added.

The former NATO commander noted the price fluctuation was caused by Iran’s decision to close a critical choke point. The Strait of Hormuz’s closure has caused energy prices to spike and oil transports to slow. The strait’s shutdown has also pushed President Trump to issue threats of additional strikes on Iran.

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F‑‑‑in’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP,” Trump wrote in a Sunday Truth Social post.

Trump’s profane post caught the attention of lawmakers and left some wondering who has the strategic advantage in the war against Tehran.

“Now Iran recognizes that, in fact, their control over the strait is even more strategically vital to them than the development of a nuclear weapon,” Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) said during a Sunday appearance on Fox News’s “Fox News Sunday.”

Auchincloss added that the president is “blustering” with these recent threats, claiming “he always backs down.”

As Trump threatens to strike desalination plants and other sites, Stavridis said the planned attacks violate international law.

“If you go after desalinization, water production facility, I think that is almost certainly a war crime because it serves the population so directly,” Stavridis told anchor Wolf Blitzer.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Sunday also said Trump’s latest threats to Iran would constitute “war crimes” if committed.

“Trump is calling reporters today to tell them he is going to commit mass war crimes next week,” Murphy wrote on the social platform X. “GOP leaders need to stop him. Never mind that blowing up bridges and power plants and killing innocent Iranians won’t reopen the Strait. It’s also a clear war crime.”

Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey have stepped in to mediate the ongoing conflict in the region.

However, Iran has vowed to defend itself with strikes on nations with U.S. assets until its five conditions for ending the war are met. The nation rejected a peace proposal earlier Monday.

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