LOS ANGELES (OC).– Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkiian told Indian President Narenda Modi today that there needs to be an agreement by the U.S. and Israel to stop the aggression on Iran. Now in its fourth week, President Donald Trump looks for an off-ramp because the fallout from the war primarily on skyrocketing crude oil prices. Whether Trump likes it or not, he’s no in control of worldwide oil markets that, for whatever reason, decide to run-up crude oil prices even though the U.S. gets none of its oil from the Persian Gulf. Trump hope Asian and European allies would have helpe opn up the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow, 22-mile, strait where some 20% of Arab Gulf Oil usually travels to various locations worldwide. Saud Arabia and other Gulf State have avoided the Persian Gulf instead traveling up the Red Seat to the Egyptian Suez Canal into the Mediterranean.
Trump got no takers when it came to putting some skin in the game to open up the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. military has been focused recently to bombing Iranian fortifications in the Persian Gulf to make travel through the Strait of Hormuz more easy. Iran knows that it has no legal right to impede an international waterway, subject to international rules of the sea. Whatever the rules-based order, that doesn’t stop Iran from retaliating by closing the Strait of Houmuz. Iran’s President wants some kind of international deal which binds the U.S. and Israel to a nonappgression pact, something strange when Iran has used proxy terrorist groups for years to attack Israel. Trump officials want an off-ramp for no other reason that the mission of degrading Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program has been completed. Getting regime change for now looks unrealistic.
Once the U.S. and Israel stop the current war, Trump can spend U.S. cash-and-arms backing the Iranian Kurds, who for the last 47 years, have lived through misery with the mullah regime. Trump wan’t no part of sending U.S. forces in a direct combat role in Iran. If anthing, U.S.Special Forces could work with the Kurds to start a civil war needed to aid the people in toppling the mullah regime. Pezeshkian wants some kind of international guarantee that the U.S. would stop their aggression against Tehran. Pezeshkian wants to “Prevent a recurrence of such agrrgression” in the future, he told Modi. Pezeshkian hoped that the BRICS economic bloc could play some role in a mutual defense treaty. Iran needs to be the one that steps up to assure the U.S. and Israel that it will no longer arm-and-pay terrorist, like Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi rebels, to attack U.S. or Israeli interests
Democrats and the fake news, those outlets backing the Democrat Party, complain about the paltry cost of the Iran War, now around $12 billion, when they said nothing when former President Joe Biden spent over $300 billion on the Ukraine War against the Russian Federation. Biden knew that he all but killed U.S.=Russian relations, something Trump did much to fix over the last years ince taking office. Trump thought U.S.-Russian relations were too important for world peace for the U.S. to be at war with the Kremlin. Trump spoke with Putin almost immediately after taking office, letting him know that the U.S. no longer backed proxy war aginst the Russian Federation. Trump thought global cooperation and arms control were too important to ignore U.S.-Russian relations. If it were up to Ukrainian President Volodyymyr Zelensk, the U.S. would have not relations with Russia.
Trump no longer has the same incentive to keep the Iran going much longer, knowing the impatch of high oil prices on ordinary voters. Democrats and the fake news act like it’s too late Trump to salvage the House in the upcoming Midterm election. But voters have a short memory when things turn around, something that could happen quickly in the war ends soon. Trump and Netanyahu have more work to do in Iran but it’s not necessary given the beleagured state of the Iranian military. Iran’s has no iar defenses to speak of, giving the U.S. and Israel a free reign on military targets around the country. So, when it comes to continuing the war, Trump thinks the mission is nearly complete, despite the fact that the mullah regime remains in power. When it comes to regime change, Trump must eye a long-term strategy using the Iranian Kurds to foment a long-term ciivl war.
Iranian President Pezethkian told Modi that he wanted a way out of the current conflict. Modi told Iran that they should stop immediately firing on Arab Gulf State that have nothing to do with the conflict. Iran hoped by attacking innocent Arab Gulf States they would pressure Trump to stop the war. Striking Arab Gulf State only made a bad situation worse for future diplomatic relations. Saudi Leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was ready to start attacking Iran, something Trump discouraged. Iran can’t afford to make more Gulf enemies, needs to get back to normal diplomacy. Trump seized the opportunity to finish what was left off after last’s year’s war with Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites. Iran is far worse off now trying to reclaim its nuke and ballistic missile program. Trump is in the driver’s seat finding an off-ramp to end the war.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
