U.S. President Donald Trump has told his aides he is prepared to end the military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing sources within the administration.
According to the newspaper, in recent days Trump and his team have concluded that the operation to reopen the strait could exceed the initially planned timeline of four to six weeks. In this context, the White House intends to focus on achieving its primary military objectives—weakening Iran’s naval forces and destroying its missile program.
After that, as WSJ notes, the United States plans to scale down the active phase of combat and shift to diplomatic pressure on Tehran in order to restore free trade. If negotiations fail, Washington expects its allies in Europe and the Gulf to take a leading role in ensuring the reopening of the strait.
Within the Trump administration, it is believed that the Strait of Hormuz is far more critical for Europe, the Middle East, and Asia than for the United States itself. In recent weeks, U.S. officials have already urged partners to prepare for potential negotiations or operations aimed at unblocking this strategic route.
The day before, Trump said the United States was engaged in “serious negotiations” with a “new and more reasonable regime” in Iran to end military operations. At the same time, he again threatened to “wipe out Iran’s power plants” if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit has already been deployed to the region. Units of the 82nd Airborne Division have also been transferred, and the deployment of an additional 10,000 troops is under consideration.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on March 30 that the United States is “working” to normalize shipping operations in the Strait of Hormuz, but did not list it among the primary military objectives. According to her, the priorities remain strikes against Iran’s naval forces, missile program, and nuclear capabilities.
On the same day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the U.S. campaign could be completed within weeks. “After that, we will face the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, and the decision will be up to Iran,” he added.
