Top White House official Stephen Miller warned Iran Wednesday evening that the war could drag on “indefinitely” if the Iranian regime did not capitulate to President Donald Trump’s demands.

Despite Trump’s claims the Iran war would likely last four to five weeks, Miller asserted it could go on much longer after the president enforced a naval blockade around Iranian ports to strain the country’s economy.

“This embargo is squeezing the economic life out of the Iranian regime, and the United States has the capacity to continue this indefinitely if Iran chooses the wrong path,” Miller told Fox News host Sean Hannity.

Like other Trump administration officials, Miller boasted about the strength of the U.S. military, asserting America has “all of the cards” in negotiations with the regime – pressuring it further to cease its nuclear enrichment program.

“President Trump has made clear he wants peace, he wants a deal, he wants Iran to choose the right path. But he will not allow Iran to pursue or achieve weapons, and this embargo and every other option is on the table as President Trump seeks that final, safe, secure outcome,” Miller added, pausing briefly on the word “final.”

Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, is one of the administration’s most commanding voices to reinforce the president’s agenda and threats.

While he repeatedly insisted the president “wants peace,” Miller also bolstered the president’s threat to bomb Iran’s infrastructure and warned the Iranian regime that Trump wasn’t bluffing.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Miller’s sentiments Thursday morning, urging Iran to “choose wisely” or face the wrath of the U.S. military, which could include a blockade and bombing of infrastructure.

Trump has said he wants to eliminate Iran as a threat to the U.S. and others by forcing the regime to end its nuclear enrichment program to prevent the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

But first round negotiations between the U.S. and Iran faltered, ending in no deal. After that announcement last week, Trump expressed positivity toward Iran’s proposed 10-point peace plan, calling it “workable.”

Yet, by Monday, the president had ordered a blockade on Iranian ports to pressure the regime into agreeing to his terms.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that the U.S. had other plans to strain Iran’s economy further, including by imposing secondary sanctions on countries buying Iranian oil.

Pakistan is expected to host a second round of peace talks sometime in the future, though a date is unclear.

Americans are eager for the president to end the war in Iran, as surging oil prices and a shaky stock market create financial fears. A Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted in March, found that 66 percent of respondents want the U.S. to end the war even if it means not achieving the administration’s goals.

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Indiana Republican Sen. Todd Young said Thursday it was “time to wrap it as quickly as we can” regarding the war in Iran.

Speaking at Semafor World Economy, Young, who has at times bucked the Trump administration on foreign policy, said it was still important to win the war, which he defined as reopening the Strait of Hormuz and securing Iran’s supply of uranium.

Looming over many lawmakers too is the approaching 60-day threshold for congressional authorization for military force outlined in the War Powers Act. Young said he’d “prefer not to wait until the very end to get clarity as to what comes next.”

The 60-day mark, he said, would be an “opportunity for us to articulate any concerns with the plan and tradeoffs and related things.” He added he would be willing to work with the Trump administration if formal congressional authorization were required for the war.

And when the Trump administration came to Congress to fund the war, Young said the “large round numbers” would still receive scrutiny from the legislative branch, and prior to taking a vote on a funding package, lawmakers would use their leverage over the administration.

“I think there will be some of our members who will insist on prior to any vote on a supplemental, resolving this issue around future plans or maybe even a formal authorization,” he said.

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Young, who didn’t endorse Trump during the 2024 primary, said he now had a “really positive” relationship with the president — and his skepticism of Trump earned him respect at times.

“The president has a certain respect — maybe sometimes a grudging respect — but a certain respect for people who don’t bend the knee consistently, who articulate uncomfortable truths, because there aren’t many around him, and I think people underestimate how the president respects that,” he said.

Lakers star Luka Doncic and Pistons standout Cade Cunningham are eligible for all 2025-26 season awards, including MVP and All-NBA teams, after their extraordinary circumstances challenge of the 65-game rule was approved by the NBA and NBPA on Thursday.

Doncic, who finished with 64 games during the regular season, missed two games in December because of the birth of his child abroad.

Cunningham, who played in 63 games, missed 12 games with a collapsed lung.

“The NBA and NBPA agreed that, taking into account the totality of the circumstances for Cunningham and Dončić, each player qualified for awards,” the league and the union said in a statement.

Minnesota‘s Anthony Edwards, who appeared in 60 games, filed a challenge as well. His case was advanced to an independent arbitrator, but his challenge was denied and he is not eligible for awards.

The statuses of Dončić and Cunningham were a major topic toward the end of the season. San Antonio‘s Victor Wembanyama — an MVP candidate and the likely defensive player of the year — got to the 65-game mark in the Spurs’ next-to-last game, and Denver‘s three-time MVP Nikola Jokic became qualified for this year’s awards on the final day of the regular season.

Jokic has been first or second in MVP balloting in each of the last five seasons and won the league’s rebounding and assist titles this season.

Nuggets coach David Adelman said last week that he hopes the 65-game rule is changed, somehow, this summer. He said if players like Jokic can play 64 games, never wanting to come out, and not be award-eligible, then something is wrong.

“That’s not the spirit of what that rule is,” Adelman said.

A number of players will be ineligible for most major individual awards this season because of the 65-game rule, including the Lakers’ LeBron James, whose 21-year streak of making an All-NBA team will end. Milwaukee‘s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Golden State‘s Stephen Curry have also missed too many games to be eligible.

With the decisions on Dončić, Cunningham and Edwards now complete, the NBA is expected to send award ballots to the panel of reporters and broadcasters who cover the league in the coming days. It’s unclear when the announcement of award winners will begin.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.