Former Defense secretary reveals what Iran learned from the war, and it's not what Trump wanted

WASHINGTON, DC: The second phase of the Iran war, which began early in July after Iran attacked a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz, is still on, but former Defense Secretary Mark Esper has a warning for President Donald Trump.

Esper on Sunday, August 9, said Iran is being “emboldened” by the ongoing conflict in the region as President Trump keeps backing down from large-scale threats involving attacks on Tehran.

Expert says conflict raised Iran's war confidence

“Clearly the Iranians have figured this out. They are not reacting to these threats, and they are taking very strategic positions with regard to this. And so you saw them over the last week put forward again this Omani plan that they’re going to unveil at some point,” Esper said during an appearance on ABC’s 'This Week'.

“But these demands they’ve now raised show that they are emboldened, that they feel confident about their position in the world. And at the same time, they are flexing their muscles by using their proxies,” he added.

Iran's expanded control over the Strait of Hormuz by using the Houthis in Yemen to threaten commercial ships transiting the Red Sea has increased its control over energy transport.

“We know that the Houthis just this morning attacked a Saudi refinery on the Red Sea. Yesterday, Iran attacked a UAE ship. But they’ve also — they being Tehran — have tried to expand this conflict,” Esper said.

“There was a long shot taken at an Egyptian port on the Mediterranean Sea to show the range of their weapons. And they’ve gone so far as to threaten a US ally, NATO ally, Bulgaria, about supporting US operations from there. So they’re expanding the conflict in many ways,” he added.

Trump says Hormuz deal could happen soon

The president has maintained that Tehran is open to making a deal that would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that carries a fifth of the world’s oil transports per day under normal conditions.

“It could happen. Tomorrow or the next day,” Trump said last week after traveling to Los Angeles for a fundraising event hosted by the Republican National Committee. “A lot of progress has been made.”

In the meantime, Tehran’s leaders have presented a list of demands for the US to address in order to see the Strait of Hormuz completely reopened.

Esper said the demands are “ridiculous” and should be “rejected out of hand.”

“Demands such as the withdrawal of all US forces from the region, reimbursement for the cost of the war, the fact that … we would end our blockade, we would end sanctions. So, it’s gone beyond the pale,” he told host Jonathan Karl.

"But what it tells you is two things, Jonathan. First of all, they haven’t apparently left any room for negotiation, and we know that’s important," he continued. 

"President Trump wants to pursue that, and rightly so. But secondly and more importantly, it shows that they believe they have the upper hand, they believe they’re winning, and they are emboldened,” he added.