Trump Is Already Over the War He Started
The White House has practically given up its initial aims for attacking Iran.Donald Trump has reportedly spoken with his aides about ending the military campaign, even if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, administration officials told The Wall Street Journal Tuesday.Situated between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, the Strait of Hormuz is the single most important energy transit point in the world, funneling approximately one-fifth of all crude oil shipments. Iran began laying mines across the passageway earlier this month, effectively sealing the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to the rest of the open ocean.In 2024, the U.S. imported roughly 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day through the strait, accounting for roughly 7 percent of total U.S. crude imports, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.Trump and his aides estimated that reopening the waterway would extend the conflict past the administration’s advertised four-to-six week timeline for military involvement. Allowing Tehran to retain control of the strait would leave a complex problem in the Middle East that would need to be dealt with at a later date.The president has since reshuffled America’s priorities in the region, opting to focus on decimating Iran’s navy and its missile stockpiles while pressuring the country to resume its oil trade via diplomatic means. Officials told the Journal that if that strategy fails, Washington would press its allies in Europe and the Gulf to pick up the mantle on reopening the strait.Trump practically confirmed the latter details of the Journal’s report within hours of its publication, writing on Truth Social that European countries should “go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.”“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us,” Trump wrote Tuesday morning. “Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!”Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not express confidence in an immediate resolution to the conflict, telling reporters at a press conference Tuesday morning that the war could end in “any particular number” of weeks—it’s all up to the president.