At war with Iran, US President Donald Trump is cycling through an increasingly desperate list of options as he seeks a solution to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. He has jumped from calls to protect the waterway through diplomatic channels to lifting sanctions and is now increasingly a direct threat to civilian infrastructure in the Islamic Republic.
Trump and his allies insist they were always prepared for Iran to block the sea route, however the Republican president’s unconventional strategy has fueled criticism that he is looking for answers after entering the war without a clear plan to exit. On Saturday, his latest test came, through an ultimatum to Iran: open the channel within 48 hours or the United States will “wipe out” the country’s power plants.
Trump aides defended the threat as a tough tactic to pressure Iran into submission. Opponents framed it as a failure by a president who miscalculated what it would take to extricate himself from the geopolitical mire.
“Trump has no plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, so he is threatening to attack Iranian civilian reactors,” Democratic Senator Ed Markey said, adding: “This would be a war crime”.
“He’s lost control of the war and he’s scared,” said Democrat Senator Chris Murphy, responding to Trump’s post.
