Donald Trump is preparing "the inevitable storm" against Iran . While not abandoning diplomatic channels, the president is keeping all options open, including the possibility of a resumption of fighting, and is meeting his military commanders at the White House to await Iran's new peace proposal.
Centcom chief Brad Cooper presented him with new plans for a potential course of action: a series of “short, powerful” strikes in the hope of breaking the impasse in negotiations and forcing Iran to commit to nuclear action.
The alternatives presented to the commander-in-chief, in the presence of Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Caine, include the use of special forces to secure enriched uranium stockpiles. They also include taking control of the Strait of Hormuz using ground forces to reopen it to commercial shipping. To reopen it, however, the United States could not proceed alone but would need an international coalition. The administration is already working to establish this coalition: the State Department has sent a cable to American embassies urging diplomats to pressure foreign governments to join the "Maritime Freedom Construct."
Trump remains convinced that blockading Iranian ports is his greatest negotiating leverage : preventing Tehran from storing oil in containers or loading it onto ships will, the administration argues, cause Iranian crude production lines to explode. This prediction, however, is met with skepticism from energy experts, who say Iran has weeks, if not months, before it runs the risk the president fears.
(Unioneonline)
