A) A failure of coercive diplomacy, where the U.S. lacks the leverage to force an immediate Iranian response to peace proposals.
B) The transition to a war of attrition, with Iran utilizing stockpiles to outlast U.S. political and economic patience.
C) A crisis of international alliance, as the refusal of global partners to support the blockade undermines pressure on Tehran.
D) Strategic miscalculation, where military strikes on commercial shipping have stiffened Iranian resolve rather than forcing an opening.