On Friday, March 20, U.S. President Trump (Donald Trump) stated that the United States is very close to achieving its goals and is considering gradually reducing large-scale military actions against Iran.
Trump posted on the social media platform “Truth Social,” saying, “As we consider gradually reducing large-scale military actions against the terrorist regime in Iran in the Middle East, we are very close to achieving our goals.”
He outlined 5 important objectives, which are:
(1) Thoroughly weaken Iran’s missile capabilities, launch facilities, and associated targets.
(2) Destroy Iran’s defense industry base.
(3) Eliminate Iran’s navy and air force, including air defense weapons.
(4) Never allow Iran to possess any near nuclear capability and ensure that the United States is always in a position to respond rapidly and effectively to such situations.
(5) Highest-level protection for America’s Middle Eastern allies, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, etc.
The President reiterated the importance of the Strait of Hormuz, stating that guarding and patrolling the strait will be the responsibility of other countries using the strait as needed – the United States will not interfere!
“If necessary, we will assist these countries in maintaining the security of the Strait of Hormuz, but once the Iranian threat is eliminated, such assistance will no longer be necessary,” the President added. “The key is that for them, this will be a straightforward military action.”
Earlier on Friday, Trump criticized NATO for refusing to send warships to assist in the safe passage of oil tankers and other vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade in the strait has triggered energy market fluctuations and raised global oil prices.
“Without the United States, NATO is a paper tiger!” Trump wrote on social media earlier on Friday. “They don’t want to join the fight to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. This battle has already been won militarily, with almost no danger to them. They complain about having to pay high oil prices but are unwilling to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military operation, which is the sole reason for the high oil prices.”
Trump also told reporters on Friday that despite NATO’s unwillingness to assist the United States in securing the critical waterway of the Strait of Hormuz, the strait will be “self-opened.”