President Trump on Wednesday told reporters to expect more US attacks on Iranian tankers, as the war over the Hormuz Strait continues to escalate in piecemeal tit-for-tat fashion.
“The attacks are made by us. We’ve knocked out nine of their ships. I would say that the attacks are caused by us, and you’re going to see a lot more,” the president told reporters on Wednesday, adding that many of the Iranian tankers are “donezo” – as global oil prices continue to climb.
The region has now seen over six months of war since Trump launched an operation that he and White House officials at first suggested would just be ‘days’ – and then insisted (repeatedly) would be a ‘four to six week’ campaign.
All along the White House has kept moving the goal posts, amid lack of overall strategic vision and failure to articulate what exactly enough of a ‘victory’ to establish a military exit would look like.
Speaking of drastically moving the goal post, the below was another key media exchange with Trump on Wednesday:
Q: Do you expect negotiations with Iran to restart at some point?
Trump: Uhhhhhh… we’re not looking for it to be honest with you. This war will end immediately after our election.
This as The Wall Street Journal has issued a report saying Trump’s top advisors are now warning him that the Iran conflict could last through the rest of his term.
Trump has called it ‘small potatoes’ – but he may now have his very own forever war…
Top White House advisers have raised privately with President Trump the prospect that the Iran war could drag on through the remainder of his term, U.S. officials said, a message at odds with Trump’s public assurances of a swift victory.
In the Oval Office and Situation Room, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others have discussed with the president that Tehran could continue to resist U.S. pressure under the blockade and other military tactics, potentially extending the conflict past Inauguration Day in January 2029, the officials said.
…oh to have been a fly on the wall during that little meeting.