Trump privately considers stunning exit from Iran war without nuclear deal: Report
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump is privately considering ending the Iran war without securing a nuclear deal, US officials told the Wall Street Journal.
Trump launched the war in late February with one key objective: preventing Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon. Now, officials say he has privately told senior aides he is willing to walk away without a deal.
Trump considers dropping nuclear deal
Trump launched the US war against Iran in late February with the stated objective of preventing Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon.
But US officials told the Journal on Sunday, August 9, that Trump had been “floating the idea privately to senior aides that he’s willing to walk away without a nuclear deal.”
That would mark a major shift from the objective described at the start of the war.
The report said the idea also comes as Trump faces difficulty securing the outcome he originally tied to the conflict.
Even that option may not be enough to produce an agreement with Tehran.
On Saturday, Iran made public its demands for reopening the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping vessels.
The demands include a full withdrawal of all US forces from the region, lifting the US naval blockade, ending all sanctions and unfreezing Iranian assets.
Iran is also seeking billions of dollars in reparations, among other demands.
Iran sees leverage in Trump's exit push
Gregory Brew, an analyst with the Eurasia Group, told the outlet that Iranian officials are aware of Trump's desire to end the war and are using it to strengthen their negotiating position.
“The Iranians fully believe Trump wants out and is focused on opening the strait, which is why they are playing hardball,” Brew said.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a central pressure point because Iran's attacks have disrupted shipping through the waterway.
The outlet reported that “Iran’s ability to essentially choke off the waterway through sporadic missile and drone attacks has proven to be powerful leverage for the country, stalling commercial traffic and roiling global oil markets.”
The partial closure has also kept pressure on American consumers, with gas and food prices remaining elevated as the conflict continues.
Trump faces midterm pressure
The economic pressure could carry political consequences for Republicans with the midterm elections less than three months away, according to the outlet’s report.
Trump has repeatedly declared in recent weeks that the Strait of Hormuz was already fully open. The outlet said those promises had each proved premature.
The report said Trump has been looking for ways to tell the American public that the war is won, while gasoline prices remain much higher than they were before the conflict began in late February.
That leaves Trump's willingness to abandon a nuclear deal alongside a separate challenge: Iran's demands for a broader US withdrawal and economic concessions, the report stated.
The outlet further said the president is trying to find an exit while Tehran continues to use the Strait of Hormuz as leverage.
