Washington ignores the reopening of Hormuz, the strategic strait through which 20% of the world’s oil crosses and which Iran keeps closed as a result of. In a message on social media, President Donald Trump has called on the countries that consume the fuel that passes through that passage to “must up the courage, go to the Strait and take” the oil themselves. In later comments he assured that US forces could begin the withdrawal “in two or three weeks.”
The Trump Administration has begun to show signs that it is very serious about dismissing the reopening of Hormuz as one of its war objectives and ending the conflict. He already considers accomplished, or almost, the rest of the goals that he has declared (and varied) as the conflict progressed: destroying the missile program and the Iranian Navy, preventing Iran from achieving a nuclear weapon and projecting power in the rest of the world. Even a regime change, which the president and his team already say they have achieved after the death in the bombings of the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and other key senior officials in the regime.
If these objectives are considered fulfilled, and the liberation of the Strait of Hormuz disappears from the list, the United States would be freed to be able to claim victory, proclaim that it has met its goals within the period set of four to six weeks and start thinking about other priorities: probably Cuba. The fact that the passage is blocked due to the war that Washington started, and that the closure has occurred, would become a mere detail.
In statements from the Oval Office, during the signing of an executive order to limit voting by mail, Trump has assured, precisely, that the American withdrawal will cause those prices to plummet.
“All we have to do is leave Iran,” he said, “and that is something we will do very soon.” Then, he predicted, “(prices) will collapse.” A little later, asked what precise time frame he had in mind for the departure of the troops, he replied that “two or three weeks.” In his opinion, for this withdrawal it will not even be necessary to reach an agreement with Iran in the talks that Washington claims to be holding with the adversary regime.
Trump’s messages this Tuesday on his social network, Truth Social, represent the greatest indication to date of this approach. From this, and from the resentment generated in the Republican Administration by the refusal of European countries to give up the use of their bases or airspace for war, or to form a coalition to protect merchant ships passing through the Strait.
“To all those countries that cannot get enough oil because of the [bloqueo del] Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion: 1. Understand [petróleo] To the United States, we have a lot. 2. Muster up some overdue courage, go to the Strait and take it. You have to start learning how to fight for yourselves, the United States will no longer be there to help you, just as you were not there for us,” he says in Truth Social. He adds that “Iran has been, essentially, decimated, the hard part is already done. Get your own oil.”
In that message, Trump has alluded to the United Kingdom, one of the countries with which he has been most critical since the start of the conflict on February 28. In another a few minutes later, he put the target on France, which he reproached for not allowing planes with military supplies destined for Israel to fly over its territory. “France has been VERY LITTLE USEFUL regarding the “butcher of Iran”, which has been successfully eliminated! THE USA WILL REMEMBER!!!”, Trump has warned. In another text this Monday, he had pointed out the destruction of the oil, electrical and water desalination infrastructure in Iran in the Persian Gulf, if that country does not accept an agreement that includes reopening the Strait.
In a later interview today with the CBS television network, the president once again qualified his words, emphasizing that he has not yet reached the point where he has decided to cancel the attempts to recover the operation of Hormuz. “At some point I will arrive, but not yet. But countries have to come and take care of this,” he insisted.
End the offensive
According to what the newspaper published this Tuesday The Wall Street JournalTrump has already begun to tell his advisors that he is willing to end the offensive even if Hormuz remains closed. “In recent days, Trump and his team have determined that launching a mission to force the opening of the Strait would prolong the conflict beyond its four- to six-week deadline,” indicates this medium, which cites senior government officials.
The president “has decided that the United States should meet its main objectives of destroying the Navy and missile arsenals and ending current hostilities, while putting pressure on Tehran through diplomatic channels to restore the free flow of trade. If that fails, Washington would pressure allies in Europe and the Gulf to take the initiative in reopening the Strait,” the media adds. “There are military options that Trump could decide on, but they are not his immediate priority.”
In the Pentagon, it has also reinforced the signs that point to a new strategy for war. In a press conference with the Chief of Staff, General Dan Caine, he declared that the United States has already done most of the work to reduce Iran’s attack capacity, and has insisted that other countries must now take over and take care of what happens in the Strait.
“There are countries in the world that should be ready to step forward in this crucial sea lane. Not just our Navy,” said Hegseth, who also revealed that he visited the area of operations this weekend. “The world should be prepared to act. President Trump has been willing to do the toughest thing, representing the free world, but it is not just our problem, going forward.”
The Secretary of Defense (or War, as he calls himself) has urged Iran to reach an agreement in the negotiations that the United States maintains they are holding, and that Tehran denies. If an agreement is not reached, he warned, the war will continue “even with greater intensity.”
He has also taken the change of regime for granted, although Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the previous supreme leader, is now leading the country and the power structure remains intact. “The new regime in Iran should reach a deal… They already know what the terms are.” The conversations, he assured, “are very real.”
The statements by Trump and the head of the Pentagon have occurred after 3,500 US soldiers, including some 2,500 Marines, arrived in the Middle East this weekend to reinforce the contingent already participating in the war and, perhaps, integrate some type of incursion on Iranian soil. Hegseth has not ruled out that possibility: “We have more and more options, and (Iran) has less and less… the next few days will be decisive,” he assured. “Iran knows this, and there is almost nothing it can do about it, from a military point of view.”
