A Wall Street Journal report said US President Donald Trump told his advisers he is prepared to end the military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, according to administration officials. Such a decision could leave Tehran in control of one of the world's most important trade routes.
According to the report, Trump wants to achieve the operation's core objectives, damaging Iran's navy and missile stockpile, within four to six weeks, and then scale the fighting while shifting to diplomatic pressure. If that effort fails, Washington is expected to press its allies in Europe and the Gulf states to lead efforts to reopen the strait.
At the same time, senior US officials are emphasizing that the Strait of Hormuz is not critical to US energy supplies, but is especially important for markets in Asia and Europe. About 20% of the global oil supply passes through the strait, and its continued closure is already driving up prices and disrupting supply chains.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the military objectives are expected to be completed within weeks, after which "the issue will depend on Iran, or on an international coalition that ensures the strait is reopened."
At the same time, however, the administration is also considering additional military options, alongside the deployment of forces in the region, including Marine units and airborne forces. Meanwhile, Trump continues to warn that if the strait is not reopened, the US could strike Iranian energy infrastructure.
Criticism is already being heard in Washington, where experts warn that ending the fighting without reopening the strait could deepen the damage to the global economy. "There is no way to insulate the US from the damage," a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution said.
According to US officials, the longer military pressure continues, the more Iran's ability to control the strait is expected to weaken. But at this stage, reopening it is not defined as an immediate objective of the operation.
