(Adnkronos) – US President Donald Trump has instructed his aides to prepare for a prolonged blockade of Iranian ports. This was revealed by US officials cited by the Wall Street Journal. In recent meetings, including a Monday discussion in the Situation Room, Trump opted to continue squeezing Iran’s economy and oil exports by blocking maritime routes to and from its ports, deeming other options – resuming bombings or withdrawing from the conflict – riskier than maintaining the blockade. Its continuation, however, the newspaper observes, prolongs a conflict that has driven up gasoline prices, damaged Trump’s poll numbers, and further clouded Republican prospects in the midterm elections.
Since ending the bombing campaign with the April 7 ceasefire, Trump has repeatedly backed away from escalating the conflict, giving new room for diplomacy after threatening to destroy all of Iranian civilization. However, the newspaper continues, the American president still wants to strengthen his grip on the regime until it yields to his main demand: the dismantling of its entire nuclear program.
On Monday, Trump told his aides that Iran’s three-point offer for reopening the Strait of Hormuz with nuclear talks deferred to the final phase demonstrates that Tehran is not negotiating in good faith, the Wall Street Journal had reported. As emphasized by White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly, the United States has achieved the military objectives of Operation Epic Fury and “thanks to the successful blockade of Iranian ports, has maximum leverage over the regime” in nuclear negotiations. “The President,” she added, “will only accept an agreement that protects our country’s national security.”
