Trump Advisers Urge Him to Find Iran Exit Ramp, Fearing Political Backlash [View all]
WASHINGTON—President Trump said he was eyeing a quick end to the war in Iran, as some of his advisers privately urged him to look for an exit plan amid spiking oil prices and concerns that a lengthy conflict could spark political backlash.
Speaking to reporters in Florida on Monday, Trump characterized the military mission as mostly having achieved its goals. “We’re way ahead of schedule,” he said, adding he thought it would be over “very soon.”. He didn’t provide a clear timeline for ending the Iran operation. When asked about helping the Iranian people who have risen up against the regime, Trump sounded ready for a quick conclusion rather than to continue to push for leadership change.
Some Trump administration officials said as long as Tehran continued to attack regional countries and Israel still wanted to strike Iranian targets, it was unlikely the U.S. could easily withdraw from the war. Trump, in his Monday remarks, said he was prepared to continue targeting Iran if the country continued blocking the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump won’t stop fighting until he can claim a satisfactory victory, a senior administration official said, especially when the U.S. has a military advantage. Trump has at times been surprised that Tehran won’t cave despite the unrelenting joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign, according to people familiar with his thinking.
Some of Trump’s advisers in recent days have encouraged him to articulate a plan to extract the U.S. from the war and make the case that the military had largely achieved its objectives, according to people familiar with the matter. While many in the president’s conservative base still support the initial operation, some of the president’s advisers have privately expressed concerns that a longer war could deplete that support. Trump has been briefed on some polling about the war, the people said. Public polls released in recent days show that most Americans oppose the war.
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