The war that was supposed to take weeks may run another full year. That is the message from Mike Waltz on the Iran war, and it landed Friday morning as oil prices hit their highest level since May.
Waltz, President Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, made the comments in a new interview with the Financial Times. His point was simple. The United States is ready to wait Iran out. For American families watching gas prices, that is sobering news. Still, it may also be the most honest thing Washington has said about this conflict in months.
What Mike Waltz Said About the Iran War
According to CBS News, Waltz told the FT the U.S. could still be fighting a year from now. That is a long way from the “four to five weeks” Trump first predicted. Asked about another year of war, Waltz said, “I’m not going to put out hypotheticals. One would hope that they’ll come to the table in a meaningful way before that.”
He also set a clear finish line. In short, the U.S. will not consider its goals met until Iran gives up its highly enriched uranium and accepts “a meaningful agreement on their domestic enrichment,” CBS reported.
Meanwhile, Waltz said the blockade on Iranian ports can hold. “The president and the US Navy can maintain this blockade for the foreseeable future,” he said, as quoted by Iran International. He added that the administration is still tightening its economic pressure on Tehran.
Oil Hits $114 as Gulf Tensions Climb
The timing matters. December Brent crude futures rose to $114.64 a barrel early Friday, and U.S. benchmark crude topped $100, The Wall Street Journal reported. On top of that, ING said its forecast of an $80 average for the fourth quarter now looked unattainable.
Several things are driving the jump. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed it disabled seven ships near the Strait of Hormuz, although none of those claims have been confirmed, CBS reported. Trump accused Tehran of “making up fake hits” to push prices up before the midterms. At the same time, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia keep rattling traders, as we covered in our report on the Aramco evacuation. Reports that the U.S. and Israel may strike Iran again after the election are adding to the worry, Investing.com noted.
The Conservative Take on Mike Waltz and the Iran War
First, credit Waltz for candor. Politicians love to promise short, clean wars. They rarely deliver them. Telling voters the truth two weeks before an election takes some nerve, and it treats Americans like adults.
Second, the pressure campaign is working, and it is not even close. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said the blockade has kept at least $25 billion in Iranian crude off the market over 100 days, Iran International reported. A senior Iranian security official even admitted that “families will pay the price” of a long blockade. Patience is the strategy here, and walking away now would hand Tehran the win.
Third, patience has a price at the pump. That is exactly why the administration must keep pushing American energy. The Defense Production Act oil order was a start. More domestic drilling, refining, and pipelines are the best answer to a regime that uses the Strait of Hormuz as a weapon.
Finally, a long war has to be paid for honestly. Washington already spends more on interest on the national debt than on defense. So if this effort lasts another year, Congress should fund it openly and cut elsewhere, not just borrow more. Strength abroad starts with discipline at home. For more, follow our Trump Administration coverage.
