Why Trump has just a few weeks to restart Iran war and what he could target with new strikes
President Trump has a narrow window of a few weeks after the midterm elections to launch a renewed war on Iran before a new Congress is likely to reign in his war powers, experts told The Post.While Trump is pushing the renewed negotiations with Iran, he has warned that he would “finish the job” in Iran if the Islamic republic fails to submit to his demands.If Democrats take the House, as they were projected to on election day, the president would have until January before facing major resistance from Congress.“The outcome of the US elections could make pursuing the war difficult come January, but not impossible,” said Jonathan Schanzer, executive director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank.
“There is a 6-8 week window for freedom of action to continue the war in Iran,” he added.Iran appears keenly aware of this as the regime continues to push for diplomacy — while also ramping up threats across the region in an attempt to run out the clock.Should the war restart, Trump’s most obvious course of action would be to unleash a short but powerful bombardment campaign across Iran to pressure the regime to negotiate seriously, said Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“There are a few possibilities, the most likely of which is a two-week, intense bombardment campaign,” Cancian said. “It’s a low risk to the US, but it’s also unlikely to be effective,” he added.
“Iran withstood five weeks of intense bombings before, so two weeks won’t make much of a difference.” The Trump administration would most likely target the same type of military facilities that were hit earlier in the war, along with coastal bases that are threatening the Strait of Hormuz, the experts noted.However, if he wanted to step up the pressure, Trump could target Iran’s oil infrastructure and electrical grid — something he repeatedly threatened previously.Another powerful signal would be droppi...