Author and podcaster Bill O’Reilly said on Monday that President Donald Trump has narrowed his options in the war with Iran as casualties rise and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz drives up oil and gasoline prices.
Casualties And Hormuz Disruptions Raise Pressure
O’Reilly told NewsNation’s "On Balance" that Americans have little tolerance for military losses. "That makes it very difficult for a president to wage any kind of conflict. So he is almost trapped in what he can do," he said.
The Associated Press reported on Monday that nearly 100 U.S. service members have been injured since hostilities resumed on July 7, while three troops were killed in attacks in Jordan and Iraq.
Shipping has slowed sharply. Reuters reported that only nine vessels crossed the strait on one recent day, with no very large crude carriers or liquefied natural gas tankers recorded. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says the waterway normally carries about one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption.
