RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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President Donald Trump has ordered the US military to carry out a new attack on Iran as soon as this weekend, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
The strikes are intended to convince Tehran to surrender, according to the newspaper, which cited unnamed US officials.
The report comes hours after Trump cast doubt on continued negotiations with Iran, repeating threats to retaliate forcibly after an attack on a US base in Jordan.
“We’ll be hitting them very hard,” the president said during a Cabinet meeting Friday. “And at some point they’ll say we just can’t take it anymore.”
CBS reported separately that the US is considering striking energy infrastructure, including oil refineries and power plants, which would mark a major escalation in the military campaign. Deliberate bombing of civilian targets could be considered war crimes, according to advocacy groups.
WTI rose above $86 a barrel in post-settlement trading on Friday afternoon following the CBS report.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not directly address reports about an impending assault, but said in a statement that “Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way.”
Why Trump’s Iran Threats Raise War Crime Concerns: Explainer
The president has frequently threatened sweeping escalation only to shift his stance soon afterward. At the same time, the war has depleted US munitions, particularly air defense interceptors crucial to stopping attacks on bases.
Unintended consequences have marked the conflict, which began on Feb. 28 with massive airstrikes by the US and Israel. Iran swiftly and essentially sealed off the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil, natural gas and fertilizer shipments. While the Iranian armed forces were no match for America’s military might, Tehran’s attacks on Persian Gulf neighbors with drones and missiles disrupted business and everyday life across the region.
Just this week, Egypt was drawn into the fray when two ships carrying liquefied natural gas were struck by drones at the port of Damietta.
Oil prices have shot up with each round of clashes, and Americans who were already frustrated about the cost of food, housing and other items now pay significantly more for gasoline. With control of Congress at stake in November’s midterm elections, polls show that voters by a wide margin disapprove of Trump’s management of the war — and the economy.
Earlier: Trump Casts Doubt on New Iran Negotiations as War Drags On
Earlier Friday, he told reporters during the meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland that he was “losing faith in them because they do lie and do, they do misrepresent.”
“And at some point they’ll say we just can’t take it anymore,” he added.
Confidence between the parties appears to be at rock bottom, with Iranian leaders echoing Trump’s latest complaints by saying the Americans have reneged on commitments and can’t be trusted.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
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