Steve Bannon Says If Trump Is To Escalate In Iran, U.S. Should Go For 'Total War'

Former White House adviser Steve Bannon said that if President Donald Trump is to escalate hostilities in Iran, the U.S. should go for "total war" to achieve all military objectives.

Speaking in his War Room podcast, Bannon said Israelis, Arabs and Europeans are "playing games with U.S."

"And what are we doing? Sending troops," the former official added. He went on to say he supports the move, adding that Trump needs "options and alternatives to negotiate."

However, he then called for clarity about the objectives of the war, saying that if they have been met, no negotiations are needed. But if there are more, Marco Rubio, in his capacity as national security advisor, and not secretary of state, should come out and clarify which are they. "People ought to know that. We may need an alternative of actual combat troops," Bannon said.

In the meantime, Iran launched what it described a "Janfada," or "Sacrificing Life" campaign to recruit volunteers to fight a potential ground operation by U.S. forces.

"Simultaneously with the threats of the American-Zionist enemy against the islands and borders of Iran, the national Janfada campaign has been launched to declare readiness to defend the country's territory," reads a text message sent to people in Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The White House did not confirm any plans for ground operations, but press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that it is "the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the Commander in Chief maximum optionality."

Should they effectively take place, they could revolve around seizing Kharg Island, a key export hub for Iran, or ensuring freedom of navgation through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which a substantial percentage of world energy passes, and whose closure has led to a spike in oil prices over the past weeks.