While U.S. President Donald Trump is pressuring negotiations with Iran, it has been revealed that he is considering asking Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, to share the cost of the war. The White House said Iran had already agreed to some negotiation terms and reaffirmed the endpoint of the military war as “within 4 to 6 weeks.”
White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt said at a briefing on the 30th (local time) that “President Trump is quite interested in asking Arab countries to bear the costs of the war.” He said, “It’s one of the ideas the president has,” and hinted at the possibility of making related remarks in the future.
This is interpreted as a plan that takes into account the precedent of the 1991 Gulf War, when Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) borne the costs of the war. However, since this war with Iran began without prior coordination, it is unclear whether Arab countries will actually participate in cost sharing.
At the briefing on this day, the White House also disclosed specific results of military operations against Iran. “We have hit more than 11,000 targets so far,” Levitt said. “Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks have decreased by about 90% compared to the beginning of the operation.” He also claimed, “More than 150 Iranian naval vessels were destroyed, and 92% of large ships were eliminated,” and “Currently, the Iranian Navy has lost its operational capabilities in major sea areas.” Additionally, approximately 70% of missile, drone, and naval production facilities and shipyards were damaged or destroyed, and the United States and Israel secured air superiority over Iran.
The White House emphasized that it has an upper hand in negotiations based on these military achievements. “Negotiations are ongoing and going very well,” Levitt said. “What is being said publicly and what is being negotiated behind closed doors are quite different.” It also reaffirmed what President Trump had said on Air Force One the previous day: “Iran agreed to some of the conditions presented by the United States.” He described the deal as a “once-in-a-generation golden opportunity” for Iran to permanently give up its nuclear ambitions, and warned that if it refuses, “it will pay a serious price.” He added, “The military has prepared all options.”
Regarding the timing of the end of the war, the existing position was reaffirmed. “As of the 30th day of the operation, there is no change to the expected period of 4 to 6 weeks,” Levitt said. “The operation will continue until the goal is achieved.” This means that the war will end between the end of this month and mid-April.
President Trump previously warned that Iran would attack energy infrastructure if it did not open the Strait of Hormuz, but extended the deadline for the attack until the 6th of next month due to negotiations. On this day, he made clear the possibility of an end, saying on the social media Truth Social, “If an agreement is not reached soon and the Strait of Hormuz is not immediately opened for commercial use, we will completely blow up and destroy the power plant, oil field, Harg Island, and desalination facilities that we did not touch. This will end our wonderful stay in Iran.”
Washington/Kim Won-cheol Correspondent wonchul@hani.co.kr
