President Trump said Wednesday that Iran is reeling from his pivot from military might to economic pressure, so he plans to maintain the U.S. naval blockade on the country’s ports for the foreseeable future.
Mr. Trump said Iran’s soldiers were no longer paid and that Iranian leadership was “uncertain — at best.”
“They have No Money — Their country is ’shot.’ All they have is FAKE NEWS and 300% INFLATION, and getting worse!” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Iran is all talk and no action, the Bully of the Middle East No Longer. Praise be to Allah!”
Mr. Trump projected confidence as his war against the Islamic regime nears the six-month mark.
The president said he will ensure that Tehran does not acquire a nuclear weapon and that he will not be rushed into making a bad deal ahead of the midterm elections.
Yet he faces political pressure to wind down the conflict. Americans face elevated gas prices, and the military is using up long-range munitions.
The average U.S. price of gas stood at $4.04 per gallon on Wednesday, a 36% increase from when the war started on Feb. 28, according to the AAA motor club.
Middle East mediators are trying to negotiate a deal between the U.S. and Iran to restore normal traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, an oil chokepoint.
Yet Iran said it will not ease off on the strait until the U.S. meets a set of demands, including payment for war damages.
Mr. Trump said Iran is running out of leverage as it suffers from high inflation and other effects from the blockade. The U.S. Navy is directing ships away from Iranian ports and has been willing to fire on noncompliant ships to stop them from advancing.
“The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz,” Mr. Trump wrote. “I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT! Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, ’A WALL OF STEEL,’ and there is nothing Iran can do about it.”
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