Alexander Ward
@alexbward · Diplomatic & national-security press — DC
Alexander Ward covers national security for The Wall Street Journal.
NEW: Top White House advisers have raised privately with President Trump the prospect that the Iran war could drag on through the remainder of his term, U.S. officials said, a message at odds with Trump’s public assurances of a swift victory.
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces struck three Iranian crude oil carriers, Sept. 5, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy warships patrolling regional waters.”
Highlights from Trump speaking with reporters: - Says US may strike Iran’s Pickaxe mountain soon - Confirms he’ll host a state dinner for Xi - Called the Iran war “small potatoes” (18 troops killed) - Witkoff and Kushner taking peace proposals to Moscow and Kyiv
The Iran war is (•_•) ( •_•)>⌐■-■ (⌐■_■) Tehran the administration apart
Trump calls the Iran conflict a "war" a day after Vance said he wouldn't call it a "war." https://t.co/zDxqXpR3vr
President Trump will hit a campaign trail focused on the economy after urging voters to pay more for the Iran war. Trump is telling voters a paying more at the pump "is worth the price of ridding Iran of its nuclear program." https://t.co/9jYKcBx4ay
I tell @VictorBlackwell that Trump's objective in the Iran war was to dismantle Iran's nuclear program. That hasn't happened yet, even as Trump looks to declare victory and walk away. "They've changed the narrative as to what victory looks like." https://t.co/EpKYNNLmkO
The comment. Trump says Lutnick was thinking of Venezuela: “I think the way the president is playing Iran, there haven’t been American deaths, it’s really just an economic choke-out, which the administration is now executing more broadly and I think it will be very effective.”
NEW: Privately, Trump is having discussions with senior aides about whether to declare the Iran war over, U.S. officials said, noting Trump has said he favors the idea. Trump also believes economic pressure will force the regime to dismantle its nuclear program or collapse.
"The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region."
President Trump says Iran is already desperate for a deal
Hegseth supported the plan and sent it to the White House, per Axios. "The officials said that last week the White House was leaning against approving the strikes to avoid escalating with Iran."
Iran’s FM: “Putting diplomacy back on track isn’t impossible”
NEW: Trump personally dispatched Ratcliffe to Russia. The mission was so sensitive that even some senior White House officials didn’t know about it ahead of time. Ratcliffe’s messages: - Art V ironclad/don’t attack NATO - Reenergize UKR-RU talks/end war - Sever Iran ties
US “is starting to send personnel back to some diplomatic missions in the Middle East that were evacuated or downsized amid tensions with Iran… The posts in Lebanon, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Baghdad, Iraq, are among those where staff will return.” https://t.co/8n4fg5jwFN
NEW: Days before Trump launched the Iran war, Trump summoned then-ODNI Tulsi Gabbard to the Oval Office. He asked if the U.S. should go to war. The IC assessed killing Khamenei would usher in hardliners, regime would close Strait, and Iran would attack in MidEast.
"Bessent didn’t outline any specific steps the U.S. would take against individual countries—including China, a major buyer of Iran’s oil. He said the U.S. privately defined timelines for countries to comply, telling reporters: 'I’m not going to set timelines...'"
Bessent asking “Why would I want to blow up the global financial system?” in the press conference about how the U.S. is looking to blow up the global financial system to isolate Iran
Bessent: “Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains the tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone.” *Every* — so U.S. has to be targeting China here, which will make the upcoming Trump-Xi summit in DC even more interesting https://t.co/d29Je5Au3l
We didn’t get a chance to do the “reporter’s notebooks” at the end of the show but my two items were 1) Bessent’s Iran presser next Monday and 2) Why everyone should be lining up to hire @joshuakeating
Trump on Iran war: “I would’ve done it again 100 times”
The Trump administration is apparently threatening China (and other countries, including allies) with “economic oblivion” for keeping ties to Iran. Xi expected in DC for a Trump summit next month.
Treasury Secretary Bessent calls for regime change in Iran: US will tell allies "you are either with us or against us, you want this murderous regime to end." "We are going to collapse this regime," Bessent said, promising history's greatest economic isolation campaign.
Trump is calling for every nation and business to cease economic ties with Iran. It’s not practical on Trump’s quick timeline and would be immensely hard to monitor. But further confirmation that Trump, for now, is choosing economic over military pressure.
Trump's desire for another high-stakes meeting with Kim suggests Trump is eagerly searching for a crowning foreign policy achievement as victory in Iran remains elusive. Some U.S. officials said they wouldn’t expect much progress as Kim is stronger now than in Trump's 1st term.
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- Trump Says Iran War Will End Immediately After U.S. Midterms
- U.S. Strikes Three Iranian Oil Tankers After IRGC Targets Navy Warships
- Trump Calls Iran Conflict ‘Small Potatoes,’ Agrees With Vance It Is Not a War
- Trump Renews Threat to Strike Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain Very Soon
- Republican Strategists Say Iran War Is Hurting Trump’s Midterm Campaign
- Lutnick Apologizes After Correcting His Iran War Deaths Statement
- White House Says Iran Naval Blockade and Economic Pressure Remain in Force
- Trump Says Renewed Iran Campaign Will Not Last Long
- U.S. Forces Begin Striking IRGC Targets in Iran After Attempted Attacks
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- U.S. Reportedly Warns Israel Against Unilateral Iran Strikes
- Araghchi Says Iran-U.S. Diplomacy Can Resume if Washington Drops Pressure