“It’s over when it’s over,” the president said. “But we certainly have won militarily. We have to get people to come out of the caves [in Iran] and sign something.”
Roughly 20% of the world’s oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28.
In the interview, Trump said of the critical waterway: “We really control it; they don’t. And we’ve taken the business away from them.”
There are “no boats going into Iran,” he added. “They’re dying.”
More important than bringing about an immediate end to the conflict is striking a deal that is in the best interests of the U.S., he suggested.
“I don’t want to get there if it means I can’t make the best deal,” he said. “I’ve got to make good deals. We’re pretty close.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that “every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure.”
The U.S. military blockade of Iran’s ports will eventually deprive Tehran of crucial oil revenue, but the regime could likely withstand the pressure for months without a major economic crisis or lasting damage to its oil fields, energy industry analysts and two Western officials familiar with intelligence assessments told NBC News.
Administration officials say the blockade is designed to cut off Iran’s oil exports — the country’s economic lifeline — and force Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and bow to U.S. demands at the negotiating table.
Iran has gradually begun to cut back oil production due to the blockade and, at some point within the next two months, it may run out of storage capacity for its oil and even be forced to shut down some wells. But most analysts say Iran can probably avoid shutting down wells since a significant amount of its oil can be consumed domestically, allowing most oil fields to keep operating.
Source:
Liên Minh Bảo Hiến Mỹ Gốc Việt
Vietnamese American Conservative Alliance (VACA)
https://freedom-vaca.org/vaca-blog-tieng-viet-nam/