Trump said at the White House today that the U.S. will withdraw from the Iran war within 2 to 3 weeks, and from then on, whoever wants to use the Strait of Hormuz will have to manage it themselves.
The core message behind Trump’s statement is this: the U.S. has completed the "part that needed to be fought," and is now preparing to pull out—leaving behind a messy aftermath—because Iran still controls the Strait of Hormuz, meaning anyone who wants to use this critical waterway will have to solve the problem on their own.
This marks the end of America’s military action against Iran, and also signifies a major strategic shift.
* Strategic withdrawal — unwilling to get bogged down in prolonged warfare
Trump has established a clear exit mechanism. He believes the U.S. military has already achieved its main objectives: severely damaging Iran’s navy, destroying its missile stockpiles, and dismantling its nuclear facilities. The remaining tasks are now diplomatic pressure. Underlying this is a straightforward political calculation: forcibly clearing the strait would extend the conflict beyond the original 4–6 week timeline. Instead, he chooses to withdraw with dignity within his self-imposed deadline, avoiding getting trapped in another quagmire like Iraq or Afghanistan.
Blaming others and applying pressure
In his remarks, Trump openly expressed dissatisfaction with allies, bluntly calling NATO’s performance “terrible,” specifically criticizing Britain and France for lack of cooperation.
His logic is simple and direct: since European and Asian nations rely on oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and since the U.S. has now “disabled” Iran (claiming Iran has been “destroyed”), the responsibility for escort duties and follow-up operations should now fall on the allies themselves to “step in and handle.”
Iran’s countermeasure: Iran has already begun legislation to charge fees for ships passing through, and claims that America’s “foolish actions” have caused the world to lose access to the Strait of Hormuz. This indicates that even after the U.S. military withdrawal, the crisis in the strait is unlikely to subside in the short term.
In summary, Trump’s statement conveys a clear message: the U.S. military objectives have been met, and it no longer wants to bear the cost of global energy security. The ensuing chaos and complications will now be left for European allies and Asian importers to sort out.
This move has been labeled by the international community as “reckless” and “unresponsible.”
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861223384838156/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.