Pentagon Officials Question What Trump Accomplished in Iran: ‘Won’t Actually Change Anything’ 

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Two Department of Defense officials questioned Donald Trump’s declaration of victory in Iran, according to a Politico report published on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Trump and the Iranian government announced they had agreed to a two-week ceasefire. The U.S. and Iranian governments subsequently gave their respective populations contradictory information about the details of the agreement. The most impactful point of contention is the claim by Iran that the deal includes an Israeli ceasefire in Lebanon, which the Trump administration denies. But in response to the ongoing Israeli invasion there, Iran is continuing to restrict travel through the Strait of Hormuz, even after Trump said Iran would reopen it.

Politico said that while the U.S. military has “dominated” Iran, strategically, the U.S. is now perhaps worse off than before the war began on Feb. 28.

“[T]he hardliners who have ruled Tehran for the past 47 years are still in charge,” the publication stated. “Iran still possesses its stockpile of highly enriched uranium — one of President Donald Trump’s key reasons for starting the war. And it can claim a newfound dominance over the Strait of Hormuz, a growing threat to world energy markets.”

The piece included remarks from two Pentagon officials who were granted anonymity.

“I don’t know how the genie goes back in the bottle without the U.S. massively redefining our strategic objectives,” said one of them. “I can’t imagine what the U.S. could offer or threaten Iran with at this point that generates a satisfying outcome.”

Another stated that while Iran’s navy is mostly destroyed, it is unclear what Trump managed to achieve:

“POTUS is right that we’ve largely destroyed the navy, and most, but clearly not all, of their ballistic missile and drone capability,” said a second defense official. “But that won’t actually change anything. Unless of course there’s a major uprising inside of Iran … but I’m not seeing that happening.”

The president said U.S. forces will remain in the Gulf region in case he feels further attacks are necessary.

One Asian diplomat offered a blunt assessment of the state of play.

“Declaring victory by saying he will attack Iran some more seems like losing,” the diplomat said.

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