The Wall Street Journal reveals Trump’s disregard for generals’ warnings about the Hormuz trap

The Wall Street Journal revealed that US President Donald Trump’s war on Iran wasn’t just a military confrontation, but a political gamble that ignored the warnings of the generals of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as it turned out that Trump was aware of the dangers of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz before he made the decision to go to war.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, has explicitly warned Trump that the attack could prompt Tehran to use mines and drones to disrupt the world’s most vital shipping lane.

Trump has admitted to taking risks, yet he has gone ahead with making the most important foreign policy decision during his two terms.

Trump told his team that Tehran would likely surrender before the strait was closed, and even if Iran tried, the US military could handle it.

Two weeks after the first spark, Tehran proved to be its trump card and the most painful of all, as Iranian leaders refused to back down, and the Strait of Hormuz emerged as Tehran’s strongest pressure point.

Iran has blocked tankers from crossing the strait and struck cargo ships, leading to a sharp rise in oil prices and an energy shock that reverberates around the world, with US forces targeting Iranian minesweepers and factories, trying to prevent the country from filling the waterway with explosives.

In terms of losses, the WSJ newspaper said that the US operation cost billions of dollars a week.

More broadly, the risk of a widespread, protracted war threatens the US economy, raising warnings of stagflation, a predicament of stagnant growth and high inflation.

Trump’s logic for war was driven by deep confidence in the US military’s ability to achieve a swift and decisive victory, according to administration officials and others familiar with the matter.

Trump’s confidence in Gen. Dan Caine was bolstered by successful US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites last year and the January raid that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, according to the WSJ newspaper.

The White House said Trump understood the risks of waging war, but was determined to eliminate the national security threat posed by Iran.

Before agreeing to the operation, he and his advisers discussed options for forcing the reopening of the strait and using the US Navy to escort tankers through the waterway.

With the strait almost closed, the Pentagon is concerned that any US warships accompanying the tankers will be targets unless the US destroys Iranian ships and coastal defense weapons, including drones and missiles.

Trump’s critics agree that the closure of the strait and the resulting economic turmoil reflect a lack of planning and deliberation in the weeks leading up to the war.

“They didn’t have a plan to address the crisis in the strait, the fact that these guys didn’t have a plan in advance, and after a week of war they’re still without a plan, was very shocking,” Senator Chris Murphy said.

Preparations for war usually involve weeks or months of secret deliberations, but the decision to go to war with Iran was made by a small group that included Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Higgseth.

According to observers, this approach has sidelined the views of diplomats and experts, reducing the amount of advice, alternatives and ideas available to Trump.

Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed as his father’s successor, has vowed to keep the ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran remains firmly in control and is unlikely to fall anytime soon, according to US and Israeli intelligence estimates.

Karim Sajjadpour, a specialist on Iran, described Trump’s decision to launch war on Iran as an attempt to kick a hornet’s nest hard but the kick failed to destroy it.

In the United States, volatility in gasoline prices and the oil market led to the largest ever drawdown of global strategic reserves, angering oil companies.

Still, Trump’s statements about ending the war are contradictory, telling reporters this week that the war will end very soon.

There are only a few goals left, and he reiterated on Friday that the war will end based on his intuition.

Still, US officials say privately that there are no plans to withdraw troops, and even more Marines and warships are on their way to the area.