Trump Says He Would Use Force Against Iran to Protect Allies and U.S. Ships

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would not hesitate to use military force against Iran to protect American allies and U.S. vessels. In an interview with Salem News Channel on November 12, Trump was asked whether he would hesitate to act militarily to prevent Iran from threatening those allies and ships. He answered that he would not. Trump said the United States controlled the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, and asserted that the blockade imposed on Iran was severely damaging its economy. He said he would act if developments began moving in the opposite direction and suggested he could act immediately. The president also asserted that Iran’s regime was close to collapse and that inflation there had reached 301 percent. He described Iran’s economy and military forces as destroyed. Looking back at the fighting, Trump said the most intensive phase against Iran had lasted three weeks and that the United States had lost no soldier in the preceding five months.