Key facts
- The US war mission in Iran has shifted to ensuring oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Trump administration official.
- The official stated this pivot is occurring with or without Iranian cooperation.
- Two more American troops were killed in Jordan, bringing the total US military deaths in the conflict to 16.
- A Democratic senator criticized the war, stating objectives like regime change and preventing a nuclear weapon have not been met.
- US President Donald Trump urged Congress to include Iran in pending Russia sanctions legislation.
A Trump administration official stated on Sunday that the US war mission in Iran has pivoted to ensuring oil shipments can move through the Strait of Hormuz, with or without Iranian cooperation. This shift comes after months of promised diplomatic breakthroughs and short-lived ceasefires, and amid criticism of the conflict's length and ongoing US casualties.
Appearing on ABC’s This Week, US energy secretary Chris Wright defended the administration’s strategy, noting that Iran had proven unwilling to allow oil to flow without attacking shipments. Wright added that the US has continued to degrade Iran’s offensive military capabilities. The conflict, which began in February, has now entered its second week of intensified fighting around the Strait of Hormuz.
On the same program, US senator Mark Warner of Virginia continued his party’s sharp criticism, describing the conflict as a “war of choice” launched without an imminent threat. Warner argued that the administration has failed to accomplish its previously stated objectives, including regime change and preventing Iran from building a nuclear weapon. He also stated that the US has not been successful in getting rid of Iran’s missile and drone capability, adding that the continuation of the war at its current pace will be a “continuing disaster.”
The latest casualties, including two more American troops killed in Jordan bringing the total to 16, occurred as the US launched retaliatory strikes on Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) on Sunday. Following the deaths, Trump’s defense secretary Pete Hegseth vowed the military campaign would continue. President Donald Trump also urged Congress to include Iran in pending Russia sanctions legislation, a move he suggested was desired by the late senator Lindsey Graham.