US President Donald Trump has told his associates in recent days that he wants to avoid a protracted Iran war and hopes to end the conflict in the coming weeks, The Wall Street Journal reports, writes UNN.
Details
Almost a month after the war began, the US president "privately told advisers that he believed the conflict was in its final stages and urged them to stick to the four-to-six-week timeline he had publicly outlined," according to people familiar with the situation. According to some sources, "White House officials had planned a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing in mid-May, expecting the war to be over before the meeting began."
The problem is that Trump has no easy options to end the war, and peace talks are in their early stages, the publication notes.
In discussions with external political allies, his attention at times shifted to other topics, including the upcoming midterm elections, as well as his decision to send immigration officers to airports and strategies for advancing bills through Congress to strengthen voting rules. "Trump told one of his associates that the war was distracting him from other priorities," one source said.
According to another person who recently spoke with him, the US president "seems ready to move on to his next big challenge, although Trump himself did not specify what that might be." Some allies hope he can shift to overthrowing the communist regime in Cuba, while close advisers want him to focus on the most pressing issue facing voters: the rising cost of living problems exacerbated by the war.
"President Trump is extremely adept at multitasking and working on multiple challenges at once," said White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt. "The President is fully focused on fully achieving military objectives against the terrorist Iranian regime. The President's sole goal is always victory."
This week, Trump signaled renewed interest in reaching a diplomatic settlement to the conflict, backing away from a threat made over the weekend to strike Iranian power plants. Middle Eastern mediators have exchanged initial proposals from Tehran and Washington, and US officials said they were open to further discussions in the coming days. At the same time, the US is increasing pressure on Iran by deploying additional troops to the Middle East.
One idea Trump has floated to his advisers: securing US access to some Iranian oil as part of any deal to end the war, according to a senior administration official. The official said no planning for such an outcome was currently underway.
The US will strike Iran "harder than ever before" if Tehran does not agree to a deal to end the conflict, Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday, adding: "President Trump is not bluffing and is ready to unleash hell."
"Trump is ready to send American troops to Iranian soil, but is hesitant to do so, partly because it could derail his goal of ending the conflict more quickly," the publication notes. According to US officials, he is concerned that the number of American service members killed or wounded in the operation could increase if the war continues. Nearly 300 Americans have been wounded so far, and 13 have died.
People close to the US president warned that it is often difficult to predict what decisions Trump might make regarding the war, noting that as the conflict has evolved, he has wavered behind the scenes between diplomacy and escalating strikes. Some people close to Trump are urging him to act tougher, saying that regime change in Iran could be a defining factor in his history.
Ending the war is not just up to Trump, the publication notes. "The US and Iran are far from reaching an agreement to end hostilities, and Tehran has so far rejected direct talks with Washington. Without a deal or a firm military victory, Trump will likely face a continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which will continue to destabilize the global energy market. Israel, which views threats from Iran as existential, may continue its operations without US involvement. Gulf countries, which have endured weeks of attacks, are considering their own retaliatory actions," the publication states.
According to a senior US official, Trump has instructed the military to continue to pressure Tehran. The Pentagon is deploying thousands of ground troops to the Middle East to provide the president with options. Once additional soldiers and marines are in position, Trump could quickly order a targeted raid either inside Iran itself or on one of the islands along its southern coast, the publication writes.
Meanwhile, in the US, the political landscape for Republicans is challenging ahead of the midterm elections. On Tuesday, a Democrat won back a state legislative seat in South Florida, which includes Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.
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Republicans fear the war could worsen their political problems, as high costs and Trump's low approval ratings weigh on candidates in key state-level races.