According to the Wall Street Journal, President Trump went from preparing for a military strike against Iran on Wednesday to praising the Ayatollah for not executing hundreds of protesters. The WSJ said it’s because his advisers convinced him it would lead to a prolonged conflict.
He told Iran he was “locked and loaded’ and promised protesters that “help is on the way.”
Not executing the protesters is only temporary. If they don’t kill them, they will let them languish in prisons.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated that “all options remain on the table” while Iran’s closure of its airspace fueled speculation that an attack was about to happen.
Trump’s advisers persuaded him to hold fire on Iran.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the president consulted with numerous advisors about the potential strike before opting against it.
Sources say officials cautioned Trump that airstrikes by themselves would likely prove insufficient to bring down the Iranian regime, and there was uncertainty about targeting military installations.
There was also a question of having the resources for an extended campaign. And where would the money come from?
In an unexpected move on Friday, Trump publicly thanked the Iranian government for reportedly deciding not to proceed with the executions of what he claimed were hundreds of political prisoners, reports WSJ.
“Iran canceled the hanging of over 800 people”, Trump told reporters while leaving the White House to spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, adding that he “greatly respected” the move.
