US Ambassador to UN: Iran War Could Last Another Year

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz has stated that the US-Iran war could continue for another year, indicating that the United States is prepared for a prolonged standoff with Iran, the Financial Times (FT) reported on the 22nd (local time).

According to the FT, Ambassador Waltz admitted in an interview that even a year from now, the United States and Iran could remain deadlocked without a nuclear deal or the normalization of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

"I don't want to get into hypotheticals," he said. "I just hope that before then, they come to the [negotiating] table in a meaningful way."

Ambassador Waltz explained, "President Trump and the US Navy can maintain the blockade [on Iranian ports] for the foreseeable future."

He added that the Trump administration is stepping up economic sanctions and pressure on Iran.

He also emphasized that the strategic objectives of this war cannot be considered achieved until the United States removes Iran's highly enriched nuclear material and reaches a "meaningful agreement" with Iran regarding its nuclear enrichment activities.

He further emphasized sweeping reforms across the UN system, including peacekeeping operations (PKOs).

As the largest contributor to the UN budget, the United States has criticized the UN for loose management under its "America First" stance.

Ambassador Waltz stated that President Trump gave him "the mandate to pursue UN reforms and downsize the organization," mentioning measures such as cutting US funding to UN agencies and scaling back PKOs.

Criticizing some peacekeeping missions as having been "left sitting there for 30, 40, 50 years," he said, "They cost $1 billion a year and cement conflicts."

"We are reforming the way peacekeeping is done," he added, noting that the United States wants to end peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, Somalia, and Western Sahara.

In particular, regarding the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which failed to prevent the war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Ambassador Waltz stated, "I think it is time for them to withdraw."

While noting that the US will actively consult with France, Israel, Lebanon, and others on what the future format of Lebanon's peacekeeping mission should look like, he bluntly stated, "UNIFIL in its current form will not continue, and it must not continue."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.