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No, Trump Is Not Losing His Nerve on Iran
(Washington Post) Marc A. Thiessen - Speculation is flying that President Trump, buffeted by rising gas prices and domestic political concerns, is desperate for an off-ramp and looking for a deal with Iran to end the war. These rumors are wrong. I know from well-placed sources that Trump has never been more determined to see this military campaign through to completion. Retired Army Gen. Jack Keane told me that Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, needs another three weeks to win. Given that time, Keane said, "the combined force will accomplish all assigned objectives...to include opening the Strait of Hormuz by force and keeping it open" and taking "nuclear enrichment...off the board completely by military operations." U.S. negotiations with Iran are a sign not of desperation but strength. He is willing to talk with Iran - but while he negotiates, he is pummeling the regime. The message to Iran is that either the regime gives Trump what he demands, or the U.S. will take it from them. Trump is right to pursue both options at once - speaking to the remnants of the regime while ruthlessly battering them from the sea and skies. If the U.S. takes control of Kharg Island, through which 96% of Iran's crude oil exports pass, it controls Iran's oil - and thus its economy. Once military operations conclude, Iran's surviving leaders should be told in no uncertain terms: If you continue executions or fire on protesters, you will pay a heavy price. This threat will create space for the Iranian people to organize, form an opposition and force democratic change. We are closer to the end than the beginning and the military campaign is "exceeding expectations," Keane said. The writer is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush.