Trump Reportedly Told Inner Circle To Prepare for Prolonged Blockade of Iran

Jose Luis Magana/AP photo

President Donald Trump told his inner circle to prepare for a prolonged blockade of Iran to force the regime to comply with his demands, according to U.S. officials.

Trump’s two-month conflict with Iran quieted in recent weeks after the ceasefire deal brokered in early April and its subsequent extension. The president has continued to claim that Iranian officials are searching for an end to the war, though he decided last weekend to cancel Vice President JD Vance’s trip to Pakistan for another set of negotiations.

The current stasis of the conflict is Trump’s preferred strategy, officials told The Wall Street Journal, as the president seeks to put continued pressure on Iran to give up all nuclear capacity. The U.S. blockade of the crucial oil strait, which Trump instituted after the first round of unsuccessful peace negotiations, carries less risk than a resumption of bombing or abandoning the war, the president believes.

“Trump’s decision represents a new phase of sorts of the war and highlights the fact that the president, who always seeks a quick and salable victory, is devoid of a silver bullet,” the report reads.

The president’s hazy road to victory has caused some U.S. officials to claim that the war will likely either resume or be ended by a nuclear agreement.

Trump was briefed on the latest proposal from Iran during a White House Situation Room meeting on Monday. He was reportedly frustrated with the country’s refusal to agree to end nuclear enrichment, a position the country has steadfastly held throughout the war. Trump and his team allegedly concluded that to agree to the deal would weaken the White House’s push for a nuclear-free Iran, while resuming hostilities would further harm the region and drive up already skyrocketing costs.

The president wants to maintain his blockade indefinitely, according to the Journal, believing it to be the most effective strategy to extract his desired result. The economic toll the move has wrought on Iran pushed the regime to reach out to Washington, a senior U.S. official told The Journal, with the country facing difficulties in storing the oil the U.S. has blocked from getting sold.

Trump touted the blockade on Tuesday, writing on Truth Social that the nation was in a “State of Collapse” due to the move. He has continuously shrugged off the skyrocketing oil prices brought about by the war’s continuation, reiterating the harm a nuclear Iran would cause. Trump further claimed last week that he could not end the U.S. blockade “unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!”

“The president will only accept a deal that protects the national security of our country,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told the Journal, claiming that “thanks to the successful blockade of Iranian ports, the United States has maximum leverage over the regime” during negotiations to stop Iran from gaining nuclear weapons.

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