Donald Trump is ready to end the war with Iran even without reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Wall Street Journal.
President Trump has told his aides that he is ready to end the US military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, which would likely strengthen Tehran’s control over the waterway and delay the difficult operation to reopen it, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing administration officials.
Within days, Trump and his aides concluded that attempting to reopen the Strait of Hormuz would prolong the conflict, which was originally scheduled to end in four to six weeks.
According to the aides, Trump has decided that the US must achieve its main goals of weakening Iran’s naval and missile arsenals and reducing its ongoing military operations while applying diplomatic pressure on Tehran to restore the free flow of trade.
If this fails, Washington will insist that its allies in Europe and the Persian Gulf take the initiative to reopen the strait.
At the same time, the US military presence in the region is increasing: the USS Tripoli aircraft carrier and marine units have already entered the conflict zone.
The publication notes that experts believe Trump’s decision to suspend operations in the Strait of Hormuz until it is reopened is “extremely irresponsible,” as it will inevitably cause economic damage to the United States itself due to the global nature of the energy market.
