One thing is clear about the conflict with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and that is that nothing is clear. Is the ceasefire on or not? Is the Strait of Hormuz open or not? On Saturday, the leaders of the Islamic Republic, whoever they may be, threatened to attack any U.S. Navy ship that dared to venture into the Strait of Hormuz.
This seemed to be playing out exactly as President Donald had stated on Friday: “The Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate! President DONALD J. TRUMP.” The Islamic Republic seems to be playing that “short term extortion of the world” for all it’s worth.
How long will they be able to keep it up? That’s not clear, but last Wednesday, as hailed the dawn of peace in the Middle East, he included a veiled warning:
A big day for World Peace! Iran wants it to happen, they’ve had enough! Likewise, so has everyone else! The United States of America will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz. There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process. We’ll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just “hangin’ around” in order to make sure that everything goes well. I feel confident that it will. Just like we are experiencing in the U.S., this could be the Golden Age of the Middle East!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP
The U.S. Navy has indeed been “just ‘hangin’ around’” the Strait. The New York Post reported Saturday that “US Navy ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the start of the war,” and that the Islamic Republic, despite having agreed to clear the strait, did not take kindly to this, and “threatened to attack any US vessels that entered the strait.”
Israeli journalist Barak Ravid reported Saturday morning that “several U.S. navy ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, U.S. official says. The move was not coordinated with Iran. It’s the first time this happens since the beginning of the war.”
Trump, meanwhile, wrote just a few minutes after Ravid’s post went up that Iran was “LOSING, and LOSING BIG! Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft apparatus is nonexistent, Radar is dead, their Missile and Drone Factories have been largely obliterated along with the Missiles and Drones themselves and, most importantly, their longtime ‘Leaders’ are no longer with us, praise be to Allah!”
A few hours later, the president added:
The Fake News Media is CRAZY, or just plain CORRUPT! The United States has completely destroyed Iran’s Military, including their entire Navy and Air Force, and everything else. Their Leadership is DEAD! The Strait of Hormuz will soon be open, and the empty ships are rushing to the United States to “load up.” But, if you listen to the Fake News, we’re losing! President DONALD J. TRUMP
The shadowy leaders of the Islamic Republic, however, refused to admit defeat. The New York Post reported Saturday that “Tehran justified its threat to target the ships, saying the US was moving a destroyer toward Iran in a ‘possible cease-fire violation.’” A spokesman for the Islamic Republic’s foreign ministry “reportedly warned Pakistani mediators that “if the vessel continues to move, it will be targeted within 30 minutes, and the Iranian-American negotiations will suffer.”
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This turned out to be an empty threat. Although Iranian armed forces “immediately reacted to the armed destroyer that was moving from the port of Fujairah to the Strait of Hormuz,” the warriors of Allah ultimately did nothing: “No action was ultimately taken, and two US Navy guided-missile destroyers were able to pass through the channel.”
Nevertheless, the fact that whoever is in charge in Tehran is still issuing threats doesn’t bode well for the success of negotiations, which are unlikely to accomplish anything positive in any case, given the regime’s unwillingness to give up its belligerence toward the U.S. and Israel. Any agreement that leave the Islamic Republic, however weakened, in power in Tehran will only ensure that the war will resume again later. The mullahs will make sure of that.
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