How Donald Trump could reframe US goals in the Iran war to justify finishing it

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and US President Donald Trump launched joint military operations against Iran on February 28.

Photo: Getty Images/TNS With Washington’s objectives in the Iran war shifting, the evolving goals could allow US President Donald Trump to justify success and finish the conflict sooner than expected, Chinese analysts said.

However, the observers cautioned that a wide gap with Israel over the conflict’s endgame could hinder the White House from swiftly moving past the war.

The assessment coincides with growing international scepticism regarding the duration of the war in the Middle East.

With global oil markets already volatile, questions swirl as to whether the conflict will conclude in the “two to three weeks” time frame proposed by Trump or continue for a longer duration.

Trump, who has repeatedly suggested that the war in Iran would be over soon, was expected to deliver a national address on Wednesday night that the White House said would provide “an important update” on the war.

On Tuesday, the American leader told reporters the war would end “within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three”, adding that “we’ll leave because there’s no reason for us to do this”.

Trump said the US had largely accomplished its military goals and that unresolved issues, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, would be left to other countries.

Observers in China said Trump was looking for a graceful way to exit the conflict.

Amid domestic pressure, it would be difficult for Trump if he wanted to invest more military and economic resources in the Middle East, where America’s previous wars in the region have dragged on for years. they added.

According to Zhang Chuchu, deputy director of the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University, Trump would need a so-called achievement to frame the war as a victory.

Fan Hongda, the director of the China-Middle East Centre at Shaoxing University in Zhejiang, said the variety of goals the Trump administration set for the war could allow it to end its involvement more easily. “I would not be surprised if the US declared its victory now because it could just state that it had accomplished its goals so that the US could leave any time soon,” Fan added.

In his statement announcing Operation Epic Fury, Trump said he initiated “major combat operations” partly because Iran had “attempted to rebuild their nuclear programme and to continue developing long-range missiles that

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