On Monday, President Donald Trump’s newly announced “Project Freedom” is expected to commence, a naval operation to “help free up” ships to traverse the Strait of Hormuz, but one person “close to the president” suggested that the operation could also serve as a tool to grant the United States “legitimacy” for military escalations against Iran.
“If the Iranians do something, they will be the bad guys and we will have the legitimacy to act,” the source told Axios in its report Monday, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Trump’s announcement comes amid a stalemate between the United States and Iran, with the two nations unable to reach an agreement on conditions to end the war. Approaching its fourth week, the U.S.-Iran ceasefire has apparently made Trump impatient, with one senior U.S. official telling Axios that the president is ready for “action.”
“The president wants action. He doesn't want to sit still. He wants pressure. He wants a deal,” the official told Axios, also speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Tehran slammed Trump’s naval operation as a potential violation of the ceasefire, with Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran’s parliament national security committee, calling Trump’s announcement of the operation “delusional,” according to Axios.
The U.S. senior official said that regardless of how Trump’s new operation pans out, a major development in the president’s war against Iran will likely be imminent.
“It's either we're looking at the real contours of an achievable deal soon, or he's going to bomb the hell out of them,” they said.