Without a nuclear deal: Trump told aides he is ready to end the war with Iran
10 August 00:21
U.S. President Donald Trump has begun stating in private conversations with his aides that he is prepared to end the war with Iran even without a nuclear deal, provided that the Strait of Hormuz can be fully opened. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to them, Trump believes that Tehran is unlikely to be able to resume its nuclear program during the remainder of his presidency after the U.S. destroys three key facilities. If shipping through the strait is restored, the U.S. president intends to extend the ceasefire indefinitely, and once the waterway is fully reopened, to lift the naval blockade of Iranian ports.
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A White House official told the publication that the U.S. has accomplished all the objectives set for the military operation and that Trump is now focused on ensuring the free passage of energy resources through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran, which closed the strait in February, is demanding that U.S. military ships be barred from its waters and that it be allowed to collect tolls from passing commercial vessels. Washington rejects these conditions.
Iran also demands an end to threats, a cessation of hostilities against its allies, the lifting of sanctions, compensation for war damages, and the unfreezing of frozen assets. However, as The New York Times previously reported, the Trump administration is unlikely to agree to these demands, and the June ceasefire provided for the lifting of sanctions only after a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program is reached.
Trump launched a military operation against Iran in late February, stating that the goal was to destroy its nuclear capabilities. However, according to sources cited by The New York Times, the strikes on three key facilities merely slowed the program’s progress but did not eliminate it. According to IAEA inspectors, Iran has retained about 440 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, which is enough to produce up to 10 nuclear warheads. Physicist James Acton of the Carnegie Endowment believes that Tehran “could build a bomb in less than a year.”
The five-month war also led to a significant reduction in U.S. stocks of precision-guided missiles, including ATACMS and PrSM. Two sources told Reuters that the U.S. had used up “virtually all” of its stockpiles of these weapons. This limits Trump’s ability to continue striking Iran and heightens the need for a diplomatic resolution, the agency notes.
Negotiations between Washington and Tehran are continuing. On August 5, Trump stated that his administration had held “very good discussions” with Iran and expressed confidence that the Strait of Hormuz “will be opened very soon.” At the same time, he warned that in the event of new provocations, the U.S. would deal Iran a “very powerful blow.” Earlier, Axios reported that Washington and Tehran were close to reaching an interim agreement brokered by Oman.
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