LOS ANGELES (OC).–President Donald Trump served notice to Iran that if the Strait of Hormuz was not opened up today without conditions he would start a final phase of bombing that would take out Iran’s power grid and bridges, crippling the country until it complied with international law. Iran has engaged in a terror operation blockading the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow stretch of the Persian Gulf where 20% of Arab Gulf State oil and natural gas pass through to their destinations. Iran has no legal right to block commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf, demonstrating it operates as terrorist state trying to black mail the United States and rest of the world. Trump is the only Western leader to step up to the mullah regime, the only one to take a stand against Iran’s terrorism. Since seizing power in an Islamic coup in 1979, Iran has sponsored terrorism around the Middle East.
Iran for years tried to operate as the leader of the Middle East appealing to Arab Gulf States because of the ongoing Palestinian problem. Iran’s past leaders think nothing to sponsoring Holocaust deniers’ conferences where the world’s worst anti-Semites gather to deny the WW II Nazi Holocaust. Fomrer Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pandered to anti-Semitism in Arab states, hosing Holocaust deniers’ conferences in Tehan. He was once reprimanded by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel who opensly admitted Nazi Germany committed the Holocaust. So, when it comes to stopping Iran’s state-sponsored terrorism, Trump acted in defense of U.S. foreign policy and national security. Only the political-drive Democrat Party and fake news accuse Trump of starting a reckless war, now violating international law with war crimes in Iran.
Trump made clear hed didn’t want to escalate the war but said that Iran can’t claim sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz or any other global waterway. Iran rejected Trump’s peace proposal, demanding that Trump pay war reparations and accept its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. “I hope I don’t have to do it,” Trump said about bombing Iran’s energy infrastructure and strategic bridges. “I mean complete demolition—by 12 o’clock, and it’ll happen over period of four hours if we want it to. We don’t want that to happen,” Trump said, but knows he’s backed into a corner. Iran demonstrates its last stand by resorting to terrorism after a five-week war where Trump has decimated Iran’s military capability, no longer the same power it used to be. All Iran has at its disposal is more ballistic missiles to target the U.S. and its Gulf State allies.
Recovering the down U.S. airman in a mountainous region of southern Iran, Trump is free to do what’s best now for U.S. national security. Allowing Iran to control the Persian Gulf hold the world hostage, driving oil prices to the highest level in four years. Inflated oild prices adds to inflation, making economic recovery difficult when inflation kicks up. High energy prices drives inflation across the entire economy, tying the hands of Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell to continue lowering interest rates. Trump has pushed Powell since taking office to lower interest rates. Powell has been juggling economic factors that make it difficult without risking more inflation to lower rates. Trump finds the economy stuck because of the Iran War that he knows must end soon. Trump can’t leave Iran without doing something about the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump’s runway for prosecuting the war got a lot shorter knowing the consequences to the U.S. economy, or, more importantly, U.S. consumers not happy with high prices at the pumps. Skyrocketing energy prices cost planes, trains and automobiles with rising jet fuel, diesel and gasoline prices. Yet if Trump cuts-and-runs from Iran without taking control of the Strait of Hormuz it will look like a victory for Iran. Iran’s mullah regime is in survival mode, looking to score PR points on the world stage against Trump. Iran’s mullah regime has pushed Trump to the breaking point, forcing him to take more military action to open up the Strait of Hormuz. All European allies, including the U.K., think they can negotiate with the mullah government to allow commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz. But how much will that cost commencial shipping companies?
Trump’s doomsday clock for Iran has been ticking dow. Whether or not he’ll push back Armageddon at the 11th hour is anyone’s guess. But because he’s changed deadlines in the past, it’s not likely he’ll give Iran another reprieve this time around. Whether or not Trump succeeds in getting Iran to open up the Strait of Hormuz is anyone’s guess. What’s known for sure is that Iran’s time for making a deal is running out quickly. Obviously, Wall Street would prefer de-escalation and an end to the war. Trump can’t cut-and-run at this point, forcing his hand to start taking out Iran’s energy infrastructure. Pentagon officials need to assess whether Iran has a new arsenal of surface-to-air missiles, requiring all U.S. fighter jets to have stealth technology. Shooting down at least one U.S. F-15E Trump doesn’t want a repeat of this past weekend’s feverish rescue operation.
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.
