AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Wall Street Journal, in a report titled "Trump Thought Opening the Strait of Hormuz Was Imminent. Iran Had Other Plans," examined the latest developments in the war with Iran and the White House's efforts to exit this conflict.
According to this Republican-leaning media outlet, Trump's recent statements indicate that he is seeking to exit the war.
According to the media outlet's claim, Tehran's new demands for major concessions came days after the White House announced that an agreement to free the commercial passage was within reach.
U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal that Trump had been preparing the groundwork for weeks to declare victory in the Iran war if Tehran fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz, and had even privately floated the idea to senior aides that he was willing to exit the war without a nuclear deal.
According to the American newspaper's claim, but this diminished goal became more difficult when Iran insisted on Saturday (yesterday) on its highest price yet for allowing free traffic flow through the waterway: demanding billions of dollars from the United States, the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region, and the end of the U.S. naval blockade, among other things.
According to The Wall Street Journal, this rapid chain of events shows that Trump's options for exiting the conflict have once again become limited. Trump has repeatedly threatened to escalate his bombing campaign and then backed down. But the recent chaos in the negotiations showed that Tehran is prepared for a prolonged and arduous conflict.
The director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank said, "Iran's recent and tough demands for reopening the strait make it increasingly difficult for the President to create a dignified exit from this conflict."
Gregory Brew, an Iran expert at the Eurasia Group consulting firm, also said, "The Iranians fully believe that Trump wants to get out of this predicament and is focused on opening the strait, which is why they are pushing hard."
Focus on the Strait of Hormuz Instead of Nuclear Talks
According to The Wall Street Journal's account, since April, the White House ultimatum that Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon has overshadowed diplomatic negotiations. Trump tried to include nuclear talks as part of broader negotiations with Iran, but these talks have been very difficult, and the White House has focused more on reopening the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks.
According to The Wall Street Journal's account, with less than three months until the midterm elections and gasoline prices still much higher than before the start of the war, Trump has been looking for ways to tell the American people that he has won the war.
The U.S. President last Friday, on social media, referring to an article that declared "Donald Trump won the Iran war," stated that victory is achievable even without a nuclear deal.
According to The Wall Street Journal, a White House official insisted that the United States has completed all its military objectives against Iran. This official said that Trump's focus is now on securing the world's energy flow through the Strait of Hormuz, and he will keep military options on the table if Iran targets more ships.
According to this Republican media outlet's report, U.S. officials added that regarding nuclear concerns, Trump has privately told senior aides in recent weeks that Tehran likely will not be able to revive its nuclear activities during his presidency after the United States destroyed three main nuclear sites last year.
According to The Wall Street Journal, "The President has said in recent meetings that U.S. intelligence capabilities will likely detect any Iranian attempt to rebuild these facilities or secretly build a bomb, and he is confident that the threat of further U.S. attacks will act as a lasting deterrent."
The newspaper's report stated, "Officials said that if the United States can keep the nuclear program in check and traffic through the strait resumes, Trump will most likely extend the current ceasefire indefinitely. They added that Trump is also expected to lift the U.S. military blockade on Iran's ports if Tehran fully reopens the strait."
According to The Wall Street Journal, one of the main complications for the Trump administration is money. In addition to agreeing to release its frozen assets around the world, Iran is seeking billions of dollars in war reparations. Trump has said that the White House will not allow any taxpayer money to go to Iran, although without the release of some frozen U.S. assets, an agreement seems unlikely.
The report also emphasized that there are disagreements over whether the United States should issue waivers for Iran's oil sales in the open market. The United States had agreed to these waivers last June as part of a temporary peace deal with Iran.
The Wall Street Journal concluded by adding that Trump's recent statements indicate that he is seeking to exit this situation.
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