US President Donald Trump’s mix messaging on Iran continues.
On Monday, Trump told a senior aid that he is prepared to wind down the US military campaign against Iran even if the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Monday.
Citing the administration officials, the report said Trump and his team concluded that an operation to reopen the strait would immediately extend the conflict beyond his preferred timeline of four to six weeks. With Trump’s polling dropping at a rate of knots, it seems is is keen to claim a victor over Iran and move on.
Instead, aides told the WSJ, the administration plans to claim it has achieved core objectives – crippling Iran’s navy and missile capabilities – while pressing Tehran diplomatically to resume free trade through the waterway.
If diplomacy fails, Washington would rely on European and Gulf allies to take the lead in reopening the strait, according to the report.
There are also military options Trump could decide on, but they are not his immediate priority, they said.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday that the US was “working towards” normal operations in the strait.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told senior US officials that any future agreement between Washington and Tehran would not stop Israel’s war in Lebanon, according to a report on Monday.
The Israel Hayom daily said Netanyahu conveyed the message during recent closed-door talks with senior officials in Trump’s administration.
According to the newspaper, Netanyahu said any agreement reached between the United States and Iran would not apply to the Lebanese front, a critical part of Netanyahu’s land-grab plan to create his vision of a greater Israel.
Regional escalations have continued to rage since Israel and the US launched an offensive against Iran on February 28, killing more than 1 340 people to date, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation. – AA