© depositphotos/icholakov01 Trump previously said that Iran would “soon surrender.”
The United States has made the determination to send a detachment of Marine Corps soldiers and extra naval vessels to the Middle East. This decision by the Department of Defense comes as a reaction to escalated Iranian aggression in the Strait of Hormuz, The Wall Street Journal is reporting.
According to three U.S. government sources that spoke to the paper, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth gave the green light to a request from the United States Central Command (Centcom) to relocate a segment of the rapid response force and its linked Marine Expeditionary Unit, comprising numerous warships and 5,000 Marines.
According to Axios, Trump stated during discussions with the heads of the G7 nations that Iran “will soon capitulate.” The discussion transpired on Wednesday, and within a day, Iran's incoming Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei delivered his inaugural public address, pledging to continue resistance. Concurrently, other leaders implored Trump to quickly resolve the conflict, underscoring the necessity of opening the Strait of Hormuz without delay. In response, the American president suggested that the situation in the strait is improving, and that commercial shipping should recommence in the region.
In the meantime, petroleum prices increased on Thursday subsequent to Iran intensifying assaults on petroleum and transport infrastructure in the Middle East, sparking concerns about a protracted standoff and potential disruptions to supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.