Trump Threatens New Military Strike: We Can Control Iran and Its Oil 'Completely'

Washington – Agencies: U.S. President Donald Trump threatened that the United States could carry out another military operation against Iran, as the conflict nears its eighth month and fuel prices begin to influence the upcoming midterm congressional elections. Trump stated that the United States could take control of all of Iran and its oil, adding that Washington might launch another operation against Tehran. “We control the Strait of Hormuz, and we can take over all of Iran. We can control all of Iran’s oil, and they have no money,” he said. “We can end the war very quickly. The question is: Do we want to resolve the conflict, or do we let it fade away?”

In response, Iranian officials said Tehran is planning a broader retaliation if hostilities resume. Two senior Iranian officials revealed that Tehran has drawn up detailed plans to target undersea communication cables in the Gulf. One official stated that Iran would seek to prevent repairs following any attacks, prolonging communication outages, including internet access. However, Alan Moulden, research director at telecommunications research firm Telegeography, said the global impact of such attacks would likely be limited, as less than 1% of international bandwidth passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, the United States is accelerating the relocation of some of its diplomats and their family members from positions in the Middle East, according to multiple sources speaking to CNN. A non-classified memo dated October 23 and addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicates that U.S. intelligence has determined that “Iran has significantly intensified its efforts to target U.S. personnel,” and that these plans “have reached advanced stages both in the Middle East and in other countries.”