【Financial News New York City=Lee Byung-chul correspondent】 The USA has reaffirmed that it will not set a separate deadline for the ceasefire with Islamic Republic of Iran. It appears likely to continue pressing ahead with a strategy of "economic pressure" through the blockade targeting Iran. Some observers say Iran's crude oil storage capacity could reach its limit around June 26. Analysts also believe the U.S. blockade operation in the Strait of Hormuz is likely to last at least until the end of this month. The USA also faces a May 1 deadline for military operations that can be carried out without congressional approval, and with the Republican Party controlling Congress, a standoff between the two sides appears unavoidable for now. ■Ceasefire 'indefinitely'... Dismisses deadline speculation In a Fox News interview on the 22nd local time, President Donald John Trump said there was "no time pressure" over the ceasefire and that reports of a "three- to five-day deadline" were untrue. The previous day, Trump had said he would maintain an indefinite ceasefire until Iran presented a unified negotiating proposal. However, Axios reported, citing anonymous sources, that Trump was privately thinking in terms of three to five days. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "Contrary to some reports, the president has not set a fixed deadline for receiving Iran's proposal," and emphasized that "the ceasefire schedule is a matter for the president, as commander in chief, to decide." ■Strait of Hormuz blockade... maximum pressure on Iran's economy The USA's decision to keep the Strait of Hormuz blockade in place while waiting for Iran's response is being interpreted as a strategy to push Iran's economy to the brink. The key is to cut off exports of Iranian crude oil and exhaust storage capacity. Analysts say the move is designed to create a chain reaction: storage facilities fill up, oil wells shut down, exports are blocked, and the regime comes under financial pressure. Finance Minister Scott Bessent said on X that "within days, storage facilities on Kharg Island will be full, and vulnerable Iranian oil wells will be forced to shut down," adding that "restrictions on maritime trade directly target the regime's main source of revenue." The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a hard-line anti-Iran think tank, argued that the Strait of Hormuz could become a structural weakness for Iran rather than a "game changer." According to The Guardian, Iran is expected to reach its crude oil storage limit around April 26. In an article for Real Clear Defense, Lance Gordon also argued that "if production is forcibly halted, oil fields could be damaged in the long term, structurally reducing output and revenue," and that "300,000 to 500,000 barrels per day of production capacity could be permanently lost." ■"Time is on our side"... 60-day deadline emerges as another variable Iran, meanwhile, is sticking to the view that time is on its side. Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, the Chief Justice of Iran, said, "The enemy is in no position to give us a deadline." Tehran appears to believe that higher oil prices are fueling inflation in the USA and increasing economic pressure there. In fact, surging jet fuel prices are leading to flight reductions and cancellations, while lower hotel bookings during the summer peak season and rising raw material prices are spreading shocks across the global economy. At the same time, the war is facing another turning point: the 60-day deadline. Under the War Powers Act of 1973, a president cannot continue military operations for more than 60 days without congressional approval, and that deadline falls on May 1 in this case. Signals are also emerging from within the Republican Party that its stance could change after 60 days, leaving Trump with a choice among securing congressional approval, scaling back military operations, or seeking a temporary 30-day extension. Still, analysts say the possibility remains that the administration could ignore the deadline, as it has done in the past, leaving open the prospect of a prolonged war. pride@fnnews.com Reporter