(Sarah Roderick-Fitch, The Center Square) The United States appears to be on the cusp of returning to full-scale strikes against Iran after pounding the Islamic Republic over the weekend, stemming from Iranian aggression over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump told Fox News Monday that the U.S. plans to control the Strait of Hormuz, on the heels of the Islamic Republic once again targeting commercial ships transiting through the strait.
“We are going to keep the strait. We will probably run it. We will become the guardian of the strait, and this time we will be reimbursed. We protected it for 50 years without getting paid, now we’re going to make money,” the president told Fox News.
Trump’s comments came hours after the U.S. launched “offensive” strikes against the Islamic Republic.
U.S. Central Command confirmed that dozens of targets were struck at “multiple locations with precision munitions to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international shipping flowing through the Strait of Hormuz.”
CENTCOM added that U.S. forces targeted Iranian air-defense systems, radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, as well as small boats.
Despite being pounded for the fourth time in less than a week by U.S. forces, Iran launched attacks on neighboring Gulf neighbors, with senior Iranian officials claiming the attacks were focused on U.S. military sites in the region.
The Trump administration has requested $87.6 billion from Congress to cover the costs of the conflict, including more than $70 billion for military expenses, according to a White House supplemental appropriations request.
The latest round of strikes comes a few days after Trump proclaimed the ceasefire, which went into effect April 8, is over.
While U.S. officials and allied representatives maintain that talks are continuing, the president has voiced his frustration with Iran, saying that dealing with the Islamic Republic is a “waste of time,” calling the leaders “dirty players” and “liars.”
Last week, while attending the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump indicated to reporters that the Iranian leadership can’t be trusted in negotiations, coming weeks after the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding, entering technical talks to end the conflict.
The president has also highlighted Iran’s threats on his life, revealing he has been targeted by the Islamic Republic, underscoring it a handful of times over the past week. Multiple reports claim Israeli intelligence uncovered an alleged plot by Iran to target the president.
Despite Iran’s threats on cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials maintain ships continue to transit through the vital waterway.
