At a press conference on March 30, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt received a thorny question: Is President Donald Trump ready to declare victory even when Iran continues to blockade the Strait of Hormuz - the busiest oil shipping route in the world?
Ms. Leavitt responded that, although the full opening of the strait is the government's goal, the "core goals" that the Commander-in-Chief identifies with the American people focus on military capabilities.
Accordingly, the operation began at the end of February to: Completely destroy the Iranian Navy, eradicate missile and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), weaken the authorized forces in the region and block Tehran's path to nuclear weapons possession.
Despite heavy losses to the Iranian Navy and successive airstrikes from the US, Tehran still maintains its threat to commercial ships. The disruption of oil supply has pushed global crude oil prices to skyrocket.
Although Iran eased the passage of some ships through the Strait of Hormuz at the end of March after diplomatic efforts, the prospect of this country continuing to control the "throat" of Hormuz is becoming a controversial legacy of the conflict.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed to Al Jazeera that Hormuz will have to reopen, whether through Iran's voluntary compliance with the law or by the power of an international coalition led by the United States.
On the social network Truth Social, President Donald Trump declared that there has been "great progress" in ending the war. However, he still maintained a characteristic tough attitude when threatening to flatten Iranian power plants, oil wells, Kharg Island and even desalination plants if an agreement to open the Strait of Hormuz is not reached immediately.
According to White House Press Secretary Leavitt, the goal of ending the campaign could be achieved in mid-April.
The Pentagon estimates the Epic Fury Campaign lasts from 4-6 weeks. Today is the 30th day - just do your own calculations," she emphasized.
