Are military actions "just beginning" or "ending soon"? Trump explains: Neither is wrong!

On March 9th, local time, U.S. President Trump stated at a press conference in Miami, Florida, that military actions against Iran “will end very soon.” However, just the day before (March 8th), U.S. Secretary of Defense Hagel said to the media that the actions against Iran “have only just begun.” Is it ending soon or just starting?

Faced with media skepticism, Trump claimed, “Both statements are correct”—the “soon to end” means “just beginning to build a new country,” which is a “new Iran.” Trump also said, “The ‘new Iran’ has no navy, no air force, no air defense systems; everything has been destroyed. No radar, no communication systems, and no leadership.”

Trump team: Need a more aggressive propaganda plan to persuade the public to support this war

According to reports on the 9th local time, several advisors recently urged President Trump privately to find a way to quickly extricate the U.S. from the Iran conflict, fearing that rising oil prices and prolonged conflict could trigger political backlash.

Sources familiar with the matter revealed that multiple advisors have urged Trump to come up with concrete exit strategies and demonstrate that U.S. military strikes on Iran have largely achieved their goals. The surge in oil prices above $100 per barrel has made these advisors cautious, with some Republicans beginning to worry about the upcoming midterm elections in November.

Economics advisor Stephen Moul said, “When gasoline and oil prices go up, everything else will follow. When affordability becomes an issue, it presents real challenges.”

Sources said that Trump’s team recently concluded that, considering many Americans are under pressure from rising fuel prices, they need a more aggressive propaganda plan to persuade the public to support this war.

Recent polls show that most Americans oppose this war.

Sources said that among conservatives in Trump’s camp, many still support the initial military action, but some advisors worry that prolonged war could exhaust this support.

Analysts point out that Trump’s statements on Iran conflict have been contradictory. Last week, he sought Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and did not rule out deploying ground troops into Iran; on the 9th, he said it is “far from” the point of issuing such orders. During a press conference on the 9th, Trump said the U.S. military action against Iran would “end very soon,” but added that “it can go further, and it will go further.”

California Governor: Military action against Iran is illegal and costly

Making the American people bear the costs

California Governor Gavin Newsom posted on social media on the 8th and 9th criticizing the Trump administration’s military actions against Iran, which have led to rising oil prices in California and across the U.S., causing Americans to bear the costs.

Newsom pointed out that the Trump administration launched this “costly” and “illegal” war, and the rise in oil prices is essentially “taxing all Americans.”

Oil prices in California have continued to rise over the past week. According to daily updates from the American Automobile Association, on the 9th, the average price of regular gasoline in California reached about $5.20 per gallon, a two-year high; the average price of premium gasoline was about $5.60 per gallon, and diesel was about $5.96 per gallon.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that this most severe energy market shock since the 1970s has rapidly pushed up retail prices for gasoline and diesel, leading to higher mortgage rates and borrowing costs for the U.S. government, threatening Trump’s economic policies. High oil prices could increase the burden on Americans, potentially becoming Trump’s biggest vulnerability ahead of the November midterm elections.

(Source: Daily Economic News)