US President Donald Trump has told his allies that he is willing to end the war without reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has refused to open despite repeated warnings from the US President. This is another soft stance adopted on Tehran as Tehran has refused to bow down after US-Israel started the war.In recent days, Trump and his aides concluded that an operation to reopen the strategic chokepoint would likely prolong the conflict beyond his preferred four- to six-week timeline, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The report said Trump opted to focus on achieving key objectives, i.e. weakening Iran’s naval capabilities and missile stockpile before curtailing active hostilities, while increasing diplomatic pressure on Tehran to restore normal trade flows.If those efforts fail, United States officials will look to Europe and allies in the Gulf to take the lead in reopening the strait, according to the report.White House press secretary Carolyn Levitt also said that Arab countries could be asked to share the burden of the military operation in Iran.“I think it’s something the president would be very interested in. I wouldn’t go further than him on it but it’s certainly a consideration, I think you’ll hear more from him about it,” she said.Trump last week gave Iran a 10-day cooling-off period, a decision he called a “gift” from Tehran, allowing eight oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and halting planned attacks on key energy infrastructure.He also described the move as a sign of progress in ongoing diplomatic efforts, and said Iran had asked for more time through backchannel communications.
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Should the US rely on its allies in Europe and the Gulf to reopen the Strait of Hormuz?
“He said to me very nicely through my people, ‘Can we get more time?’ Because we’re talking about tomorrow night, which is very early, and if they don’t do what they have to do, I will shut down their power plants,” Trump told Fox News.Starting on February 28, the United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks on Iran, which was retaliated with strikes, escalating conflict throughout the Gulf region. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy flows, has since come into sharp focus.The narrow waterway linking the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean is now effectively closed, sharply reducing daily maritime traffic and disrupting the movement of container ships, dry bulk carriers and oil tankers.