Washington: US President Donald Trump has told aides that he’s willing to end the US-Israeli war with Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Trump administration officials.
Trump and his aides recently assessed that a mission to pry open the crucial global energy waterway would push the war with Iran beyond his timeline of four to six weeks, said the report.
As a result, Trump decided that the United States should focus on achieving its primary objectives of crippling Iran’s navy and missile stockpiles while simultaneously pressuring Tehran diplomatically to restore the free flow of trade through the strait, and, if these efforts fail, the White House would press European and Gulf allies to take the lead in reopening it, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the officials.
Military options remain on the table, but they are not Trump’s immediate priority, the officials added.
Despite these assessments, Trump’s public messaging on the war with Iran has been inconsistent. On Monday morning, he threatened to “completely obliterate” all of Iran’s electric plants, oil wells and Kharg Island if a deal is not reached promptly.
Meanwhile, the administration has taken steps to reinforce the US military presence in the region.
Over the past weekend, the USS Tripoli and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit entered the area, and elements of the 82nd Airborne Division have started arriving. The deployment of up to 10,000 additional ground troops is also under consideration, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Trump is reportedly also weighing a complex mission to seize Iran’s uranium reserves.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the United States is working toward restoring normal shipping through the strait, though reopening it is not listed among the administration’s core military objectives, which focus on targeting Iran’s navy, missile program, defence industry and nuclear infrastructure.
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