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In an interview with The Wall Street Journal last week, President Donald Trump suggested that his main criterion for deciding when the war in Iran will end is his own feelings.
Beyond failing to recognize the fact that any war with foreign countries requires approval or authorization from Congress, Trump’s remarks indicate that he has no sound reason for fighting the war in the first place — and no idea of what conditions he would accept in negotiations to end the conflict.
Asked how he would arrive at a decision to end the war, Trump simply told the publication, “When I feel it — feel it in my bones.”
Trump’s comments contradict his claim earlier in the week that the war was “very complete, pretty much.”
But other actions by his administration suggest that the war is far from over. Reporting from Politico earlier this month demonstrated that a request from Central Command (CENTCOM) to have more intelligence officers sent to its headquarters in Florida meant that the agency believed the war would last for at least three more months, and more likely, through September.
Trump’s claim that the war’s end will be based on his own feelings echoes statements regarding the start of the war from his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, earlier this month.
“The president had a feeling, again, based on fact, that Iran was going to strike the United States was going to strike our assets in the region,” Leavitt said.
Notably, intelligence shared with congressional lawmakers indicates that there was no immediate threat from Iran prior to the U.S. and Israel launching their joint war against Iran.
Most Americans believe the war is likely to last a significant amount of time. According to an Economist/YouGov poll published last week, only 20 percent of Americans believe the war will last for a time shorter than a month. Meanwhile, 47 percent of Americans believe it will last at least a month but shorter than a year, while a third of respondents, 32 percent, say it will last beyond a year.
That same poll showed that only 39 percent of Americans approved of Trump’s actions in the war in Iran so far, while 52 percent disapproved.
Additional comments from Trump over the weekend also indicate a desire to keep the war going based on his own whims or feelings.
For example, Trump stated in an interview with NBC News that Iran was ready to start negotiating an end to the war. But Trump said he personally wasn’t willing to do so because “the terms aren’t good enough yet.”
The president refused to elaborate on what terms had been offered or why he wasn’t satisfied with them.
After tellingNBC News that the administration had carried out military strikes on Kharg Island, a central hub for oil production for Iran that also has a civilian population, Trump indicated he may order additional hits on the site “a few more times just for fun” — a statement that many observers found deeply troubling.
“Attacking civilian targets is a war crime, attacking civilian targets ‘just for fun’ is an egregious war crime,” said University of Sydney Law School professor Tim Stephens.
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