Khaberni - "The Atlantic" revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump is very eager to end the war with Iran, after it has prolonged more than he anticipated, and turned into a political and economic burden ahead of the mid-term elections and his upcoming visit to China next week.
The magazine reported today, Friday, that five of Trump's aides and foreign advisors said the president is convinced that he can sell any agreement with Iran as a victory, even if it does not achieve all the goals set by his administration since the start of the war, primarily reducing Iran's nuclear program and changing Tehran's regional behavior.
According to the report, Trump did not expect the war to end this way, as he told close associates after the military operation that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro that Iran would be "another Venezuela," according to what the magazine reported from external advisors to him.
The advisors mentioned that Trump thought, the American military superiority would decide the battle within days or a few weeks, yet Tehran has not surrendered after the first strikes, rather it responded by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz and launching attacks in the Gulf.
Withstanding the Siege
"The Atlantic", quoting American officials, stated that the naval blockade imposed by Washington on Iranian ports started to pressure the Iranian economy, and officials from the administration expect that Tehran will eventually have to return to the negotiation table.
However, intelligence estimates, according to the magazine, suggest that Iran might be able to withstand the siege for months, which prolongs the crisis and increases its impact on energy prices in the United States and the West.
The magazine quoted an external advisor regularly speaking with Trump, that the president is "tired" of the war, while others mentioned he is frustrated by Iran's obstinacy and its refusal to make concessions.
The report noted that rising fuel prices and falling popularity of Trump increase the Republicans' anxieties, especially as the mid-term elections approach, amid internal party fears that the ongoing war could broaden their potential losses in Congress.
Before the Visit to China
The magazine also conveyed from advisors to Trump that the president wants to calm any military escalation before his anticipated visit to China next week, while the United States' exhausting to a large extent its significant military targets in Iran complicates the available options for Washington.
It explained that declaring victory without a formal agreement might leave significant war goals unachieved, as a large part of Iran's missile capabilities remain intact and its nuclear file unresolved.
In response to the report, "The Atlantic" quoted the White House spokesperson Olivia Wells saying that President Trump "holds all the aces," and wisely keeps "all options on the table" to ensure Iran does not possess a nuclear weapon.
She added that the "very successful" blockade is strangling the Iranian economy, and that the United States has proven its superiority on land, sea, and air.
