Trump’s Iran War: Causes, Consequences, and Strategic Dilemmas
By tony a, writing at Daily Kos
According to a March 13 WSJ article, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned President Trump that if the United States goes to war with Iran, Tehran might block the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway where about 20% of the world’s oil passes, making it critical to global energy markets. Nevertheless, despite knowing the risk, Trump went to war because he believed that Iran “would likely capitulate before closing the strait—and even if Iran tried, the U.S. military could handle it.” What was more, the president was determined to resolve what he viewed as a serious national security issue.
This confidence also shaped how Trump viewed the likely outcome of the war. Trump thought the U.S. military could win the war quickly. People in his administration said he expected a swift and clear victory. His confidence partly came from earlier successes, like strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites the year before and the capture of Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, earlier this year.
