Before the U.S. military launched a war against Iran, General Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, repeatedly warned President Trump that an attack on Iran could prompt Iran to block the Strait of Hormuz. Trump was aware of this risk but still pushed forward with one of the most significant foreign policy decisions of his two presidential terms, launching an attack on Iran. According to officials from the Trump administration, one important reason for Trump's decision to go to war was his high confidence in the U.S. military's ability to achieve quick victories—confidence derived from the successful U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear facilities last year and the January 2020 U.S. raid that successfully captured Maduro. He told his team that Iran would likely surrender before closing the Strait of Hormuz—even if Iran did attempt to block the strait, the U.S. military could handle it. However, after two weeks, Iran has not yielded, and the Strait of Hormuz has become Iran's biggest leverage. Before approving the operation, Trump discussed various options with his advisers, including forcing Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and providing naval escorts for oil tankers. But as the strait is almost completely blocked now, the Pentagon is worried that if U.S. ships escort oil tankers through the strait, they may become targets unless the U.S. first destroys Iran's ships and coastal defense weapons, including drones and missiles. This military operation against Iran costs the U.S. tens of millions of dollars per week. More broadly, the risk of the war expanding and prolonging threatens the U.S. economy and has triggered warnings of stagflation—a dilemma characterized by stagnant economic growth and high inflation. Some of Trump's external advisors are urging him to find a way out of the war, but his aides and officials say he has no immediate plan to end the war, instead pushing to continue attacking Iranian forces and their proxy militias, despite publicly stating that the mission is basically complete, "We have won." Military officials said the conflict could last for several more weeks.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/1859707167650827/
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