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White House to Israel: Hormuz operation will take weeks; war extended; strategy is to 'make them collapse from within'

·Washington DC / Tel Aviv

White House officials have told Israeli counterparts that a US military operation to re-open the Strait of Hormuz will take 'several weeks,' according to Channel 12. If Iran does not comply with Trump's 48-hour deadline, the war will be extended to enable the Hormuz operation. US officials told Israel the strategy has shifted: 'We will use this to make them collapse from within.' The disclosure reveals Washington is explicitly framing a prolonged Hormuz campaign as a regime-collapse mechanism.

White House officials have privately told Israeli counterparts key Hormuz strategy details, per Channel 12 (Israel). KEY DISCLOSURES: 1. TIMELINE: A US Hormuz re-opening operation will take 'several weeks' 2. WAR EXTENSION: If Iran does not comply with Trump's 48hr deadline, the war will be extended specifically to enable the Hormuz operation 3. STRATEGY SHIFT: 'A change in strategy is needed' 4. REGIME-COLLAPSE FRAMING: 'We will use this to make them collapse from within' — US officials to Israeli counterparts SIGNIFICANCE: This is the most explicit US articulation yet of a Hormuz-linked regime-change strategy. Combined with Ambassador Leiter's CNN statement about awaiting 'Iranian boots on the ground' and Netanyahu's European coalition appeal, it confirms a deliberate US-Israeli dual-track strategy: - Military: degrade IRGC/command capacity via airstrikes - Economic: use prolonged Hormuz closure to accelerate Iranian domestic economic collapse, triggering popular uprising The 'several weeks' timeline means the war could extend well beyond Day 23, with the Hormuz operation as the next major phase — potentially beginning around the Trump deadline expiry (~00:52 CET March 24).
hormuzusstrategycollapseweekschannel12day23

Actor responses

USSUPPORTINGINTELLIGENCE

White House officials (Channel 12): Hormuz operation will take 'several weeks.' War will be extended if Iran doesn't comply. 'We will not allow Iran to take the Strait of Hormuz hostage. We will use this to make them collapse from within.' Strategy shift explicitly acknowledged.

IsraelSUPPORTINGINTELLIGENCE

Israel briefed on US Hormuz timeline — several weeks. War extension expected if Trump deadline is not met. Aligns with Zamir's 'prolonged campaign' framing and Leiter's 'Iranian boots' regime-change strategy.

IranOPPOSINGDIPLOMATIC

Iran has not been briefed on this strategy but its posture — IRGC threatening complete Hormuz closure, parliament threatening oil facility destruction — indicates awareness that Hormuz is the strategic pivot. The 48hr deadline expires ~00:52 CET March 24.

Sources

T2Channel 12 (Israel) via Times of Israel liveblog — US tells Israel Hormuz op takes weeks; 'make them collapse from within'82% reliability