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Military Deployment · Oil Prices · Strait Of Hormuz · US-Iran Conflict
President Trump definitively rejected a cease-fire with Iran, asserting the US is "obliterating" Iran's military and that the Strait of Hormuz, closed by Iran and causing oil price surges, will "open itself." The Pentagon deploys two expeditionary units, totaling approximately 5,000 Marines, to the Middle East.
Trump stated Iran's military capacity is so severely damaged it will take 10 years to rebuild the nation of 93 million people, though he did not specify the exact damage. He reiterated the US operation's primary goal is preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, not regime change, and noted the fate of Iran's 972 pounds of 60% enriched uranium remains unclear.
Trump criticized NATO for its lack of courage in assisting with the Strait of Hormuz situation. The US has avoided targeting Iran's electrical grid and Kharg Island pipelines, which handle 90% of the country's oil exports, but maintains the option.
The USS Boxer and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, along with the USS Tripoli and a similar expeditionary unit, are en route to the region, as reported by the Wall Street Journal and Associated Press.
