https://arab.news/vd7jw
Almost two weeks after the US and Israel launched what they described as a preemptive strike against Iran — with the stated objective of regime change — the odds that this goal will be achieved anytime soon appear as remote as they did on Day 1. Yet as both sides dig in, trading blows in an increasingly senseless war of attrition, there are signs that President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are quietly backing away from that stated objective.
On Monday, Trump said America’s goals may be “pretty well complete” and that the war could end soon. His remarks came as global stock markets tumbled and oil and gas prices soared, with Iran having effectively closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz — disrupting about 20 percent of global oil exports. Tehran has also struck energy facilities across most Gulf states, forcing Qatar to suspend gas production and prompting others to curtail output.
But later that same day, Trump told reporters that the US would continue striking Iran to destroy its ballistic missile capabilities. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the newly designated supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, implying he wanted a say in who leads Iran next. Earlier, Trump had indicated that any decision to end the war would be made mutually by himself and Netanyahu.
