Featured Image Credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Iran
William Morgan
The White House is remaining adamantly bullish about President Trump's attempt to tighten his grip on the Iranian regime, despite Tehran seizing at least two ships in the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours.
Donald Trump has extended the ceasefire indefinitely so that what remains of the Iranian regime can develop a 'unified' proposal to end the conflict that would satisfy American interests - but his blockade of the country's ports remains in place.
Because of this, Iran is blaming the White House for committing a 'flagrant breach of the ceasefire'. But Trump is unlikely to pay this much attention, because the Commander-in-Chief has now issued a 'shoot to kill' order for some ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
This escalation of force in the mutual blockade of the strait, one of the most important chokepoints in the world for the flow of everything from oil to fertilizer and helium, means that there is no end in sight to the economic turmoil caused since the war started, February 28.
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With both sides still escalating and recent proposed peace talks in Pakistan falling apart, there is little hope of an immediate and lasting end to the hostilities.
At the same time, European military chiefs are meeting in London today to formulate a plan for the UK and France to lead a mission that will keep the critical waterway open once the Iran war is over.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has said Britain wanted to see a 'comprehensive settlement' and a 'full reopening' of the key shipping route without restrictions or tolls.
But while major powers in Europe band together to find their own solution to the issue that has sent crude oil prices skyrocketing across the continent, a top US envoy has asked Fifa to replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming World Cup.
This is an attempt at bringing Italy's right wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni back on side after the president's war on Iran and war of words with the Pope led to cracks in their once strong friendship.
With many wondering where this war is going, or if it will ever end, President Trump has made several moves this week to show that progress is being made, including a post on Tuesday.
Trump said the Tehran regime was 'seriously fractured', with the leadership agreeing to a request by Pakistani mediators 'to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal'.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “There’s obviously a lot of internal division. This is a battle between the pragmatists and the hardliners in Iran right now and the president wants a unified response.”
US Central Command has told 31 vessels to turn around or return to port as part of the blockade, with a 'shoot to kill' order in place for any boats believed to be involved in laying mines in the once-busy waterway.
Hailing the success of the US blockade, Leavitt said: “We are completely strangling their economy through this blockade. They’re losing 500 million dollars a day.” She said the country’s main oil export terminal was 'completely full', as a result of the bar on shipping.
Leavitt added: “The United States maintains control over this situation, leverage over the Iranian regime. Not only have they been significantly weakened and obliterated militarily, but they are losing economically and financially every single moment that passes with this blockade.”
She went on to say: “Ultimately, he (Mr Trump) will dictate the timetable. He is satisfied with the naval blockade, and he understands that Iran is in a very weak position and the cards are in President Trump’s hands right now on.
“The president chose to extend the ceasefire because it’s Iran who need to get their act together.”
The speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said: “You did not achieve your goals through military aggression and you will not achieve them by bullying either. The only way is recognising the Iranian people’s rights.”