【By Observer News, Qi Qian】

The conflict between the US, Israel and Iran has lasted more than a week, and global oil prices have surged, with growing opposition voices within the United States.

On March 9, the U.S. "Wall Street Journal" reported that some of President Trump's advisers are worried about the economic costs and political consequences of a prolonged conflict, and are privately urging him to find an exit strategy.

According to sources familiar with the situation, in recent days, some advisers have encouraged Trump to clearly outline an exit plan from the war and inform the public that the military has "basically achieved its goals." These advisers are concerned that a prolonged war may drain public support.

知情人士称，特朗普最近听取了关于战争的部分民调。最近几天，多家美国机构发布的民调显示，美国公众仍对再次陷入“无休止的战争”保持警惕，超半数美国人对此次行动持反对态度。

Currently, American consumers are facing the dilemma of rising oil prices. With maritime oil transport routes such as the Strait of Hormuz blocked and Iranian oil facilities attacked, on March 9, global oil prices soared, reaching over $100 per barrel.

In this context, the Trump team has begun to realize the need for a more proactive communication plan to promote the war to the public.

The report mentioned that Trump said on the 9th local time that the U.S. would lift "oil-related sanctions" on some countries to lower prices, but he did not specify which countries might be exempted. He also said the U.S. would provide "risk insurance" for tankers operating in the region, and the U.S. Navy and its partners would escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz when necessary.

That day, Trump also said he had insufficient knowledge about the incident where a "Tomahawk" missile hit an Iranian school, killing at least 165 people. He added that he was "willing to accept" an investigation into who should be held responsible.

Local time on the 9th, Trump attended a press conference, screenshot

On February 28, local time, a primary school in Minaab, Iran, was bombed by U.S.-Israeli air strikes. Multiple sources have indicated that the U.S. military is responsible for the deaths of at least 165 Iranian female students. However, the U.S. has always made excuses and shifted blame. Trump recently made baseless claims, falsely stating that "this incident was done by Iran." On March 9, the New York Times disclosed new evidence indicating that the Tomahawk missile that struck the Iranian school likely came from the U.S.

"This story is full of nonsense from anonymous sources, and I can assure you these people are not even near President Trump," White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt responded to the report, saying, "The president's senior advisors are working around the clock to ensure the 'Operation Inherent Resolve' continues to achieve great success, and the end of these operations will ultimately be decided by Trump."

Leavitt also insisted, "The majority of Americans support eliminating the threat posed by the Iranian regime and supporting the elimination of terrorists."

Meanwhile, other U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal that the U.S. is unlikely to withdraw from the war easily as long as Iran continues to attack regional countries and Israel still wishes to strike Iranian targets. A senior official said that Trump would not stop fighting until he could claim a satisfactory victory, especially given the U.S.'s military superiority.

However, according to sources familiar with Trump's thinking, Trump sometimes is surprised by Iran's refusal to yield.

According to the report, in recent days, Trump has made contradictory statements on the U.S.-Israel-Iran military conflict.

Last week, Trump threatened to seek an "unconditional surrender" from Iran and did not rule out sending ground forces into Iran.

But on March 9, during an interview with a U.S. media outlet, Trump boasted about the "achievements" gained by the U.S. military since the attack, and said he believed "the war has basically ended." He did not provide a clear timeline for ending the Iran operation.

However, later that evening, Trump contradicted himself again. He changed his statement, saying that the U.S. would have a long-term conflict with Iran and claimed that the U.S. "would not back down until the enemy is completely and decisively defeated."

Subsequently, at a press conference, when asked whether the war with Iran would end by the end of the week, Trump answered, "No." He then added, "Soon, soon."

Mujtaba al-Hakim and Trump, photo

The Wall Street Journal mentioned that current and former U.S. officials stated that Trump had hinted publicly and told his aides privately that if Iran's new Supreme Leader Mujtaba al-Hakim refused to comply with U.S. demands, he would support removing him.

However, at the press conference on the 9th, when asked whether he would still consider Mujtaba al-Hakim as a target for assassination, Trump did not answer directly, instead offering "empathy" - "It's inappropriate to say that, I have also been a target of assassination before." But on one hand, he still felt "disappointed" about Mujtaba al-Hakim's ascension, and on the other hand, he still insisted that the U.S. wanted to intervene in the selection of Iran's top leadership.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7615548008209334799/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.