The contradictions from the White House generate greater uncertainty about the future of the war

WashingtonThe death toll in Iran from US and Israeli bombings continues to rise, but the White House still hasn't provided a clear narrative about why they started the war, nor what their objectives are. Donald Trump is aware of this, as are his cabinet secretaries, and in fact, they are exploiting these contradictions as a tool to contain a potentially greater evil: it's better for markets, citizens, and foreign leaders to focus on the chaos projected by Washington than on the consequences of that chaos. On Monday night, without hesitation, Trump argued that it was equally true his assertion that the war "is almost over", like that of his Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, who declared that ten days of war are "only the beginning." This Tuesday morning, the head of the Pentagon insisted that "our will is inexhaustible."

Unconcerned about falling into yet another contradiction with the US president—there have been as many as days of war—Hegseth asserted this Tuesday that they have never specified when the war would end. He also declared that Trump is "the one who decides the final outcome" of the military campaign and warned that this Tuesday would be the "most intense day of bombing" against Iran. Last weekend, the attacks from Washington and Tel Aviv made it seem as if oil were raining down on Tehran. A black, apocalyptic rain, the consequence of nighttime bombings against four crude oil storage facilities and a petroleum product transfer center.

Oil

On Monday night, after the ayatollahs asserted that they would be the ones to decide the end of the conflict, Trump told them He threatened from the Truth Social network"If Iran does anything to stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, it will be struck by the United States of America twenty times harder than it has been struck so far. Death, fire, and fury will reign over them," he wrote, almost as if it were a divine threat. This warning didn't quite align with the attempt to contain the stock market panic and the rising price of oil due to the impact the conflict is having on crude oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil passes.

According to the Pentagon, the US Central Command (Centcom) has so far attacked more than 5,000 targets in Iran, destroyed more than 50 Iranian naval vessels, and struck several drone factories to degrade Iran's autonomous weapons capabilities. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, added that US forces have fired dozens of GPS-guided penetrator weapons.

Before Hegseth's combative press conference, Trump had once again reversed course: he told Fox News that he had heard Iran wanted to talk to him and that negotiations were possible. Last Friday, however, the president sabotaged any attempt at diplomatic rapprochement and demanded the "unconditional" surrender of the ayatollahs. The regime, which Trump initially said he wanted to abolish, has now appointed Mukhta Khamenei, son of the late Ali Khamenei, as its new supreme leader.

The only development between Friday and Tuesday that might make Trump seem more willing to talk is that on Monday the price of a barrel of crude oil soared above $100 while the stock markets plummeted. It was then that the president, in an exercise of damage control, declared shortly before the close of trading on Wall Street that the war was "virtually over." The market decided to believe him: the price of oil fell below $90. But this is a card Trump can't play every day indefinitely.

Although Trump has said he is open to dialogue again, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that it is unlikely Iran will resume negotiations with the United States. Araghchi described the previous talks as a "bitter experience." "After three rounds of negotiations, the American team claimed we had made great progress. However, they decided to attack us. Therefore, I don't think talking to the Americans is on our agenda," he said in an interview with PBS.

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One of the White House proposals is that the marine Listen to the oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. To further add to the confusion, Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced on social media that the United States had successfully escorted an oil tanker through the strait. After the post went viral and raised numerous questions, Wright simply deleted it. Later, during the administration's press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the military has not yet escorted any oil tankers through the region, but that the option remains on the table. She also addressed Trump's recent statements regarding potential dialogue with Iran. First, she clarified that the US president will define what Iran's "unconditional surrender" means. "When President Trump says that Iran is in a situation of unconditional surrender, he is not saying that the Iranian regime has to come out and recognize that," she argued.

While metalinguistic debates continue about the duration of the war or the meaning of unconditional surrender, more than a thousand Iranians have already died, eight American soldiers have been killed in action, and 150 have been wounded. For example, one of the American service members who has lost his life in the war started by the octogenarian Trump—the US president will turn 80 in June—is a 26-year-old from Kentucky: Benjamin N. Pennington.