LOS ANGELES (OC).–Iran’s Republican Guard Corps resumed attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, paying back President Donald Trump for maintaining the blockade on Iranian ships trying leave port to deliver its crude oil and natural gas to various customers primarily China and India. Trump insisted after the first round of talks in Islamabad that Iran stop enriching uranium and turn its existing thousand pounds of enriched uranium over to the United States. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Esmaiel Baghaei stated emphatically today the Iran will not turn over its enriched nuclear stockpile to the United States in any settlementof the Iran War. Democrats and the fake news were quick to call Trump’s two-week ceasefire with Iran a scam, showing proof that Iran was still attacking commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Baghaeri said attacks would continue until Trump ends the blockade.
Trump said Iran was trying to get cute before the next round of Islamabad peace negations. Trump lauched his blockade on Iranian ports April 14, saying Iran would no longer deliver its crude oil and natural gas until it signs a permanent peace deal. Baghaei complained that Trump’s “maximalist” demands to turn over its nuclear stockpile and permanently stop enriching uranium were “nonstarters” in any final settlement. So when it comes to the IRGC firing on commercial ships, it’s all posturing before the next round of talks. Trump can’t possibly think that he’s going to get everything his way in any peace talks. When he goes to Islamabad on Monday, he’ll wants to focus on what’s really important to get a lasting peace deal. Demanding Iran never enrich uranium again is unrealistic. If Iran crosses the line, Trump can always resume the bombing.
Resuming attacks on commercial ships sends a loud message to Trump to stop the blockade on Iranian ports. “Control over the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state, and this strategic waterway is no under strick management and control of the amred forces,” Khatam al-Arbiya, spokesman for Iran’s IRGC. “Until America allow full freedom IRof navigation for vessels traveling from Iran to destinations and vice versa, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain under strick control,: Al-Arbiya clearly postures before the next round of talks where both sides will have to make major concessions to end the war. Iran doesn’t have the military or economic reserves to continue battling the U.S. Trump has lost his runway of continuing military operations without fallout on the 2026 Midterm elections where Republicans could lose the House and Senate.
Trump responded to the latest developments in the Strait of Hormuz, while Democrats and fake news continue to slam his Iran War policy. “”They can’t blackmail us,” Trump said. “They go a little cute, as they have been doing for 47 years.. Trump wanted the press to know he’s in charge of what’s happening in the Persian Gulf even if it appears that Iran has regained the upper hand. When talks resume in Islamabad, both sides will have to make concessions to end the six-week old conflict, knowing it’s in Trump’s benefit to end another war. Trump can always say he joined Israel’s conflict, not starting a war but ending it to prove he’s really a peacemaker. Iran started today attacking ships trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz, claiming Trump’s blockade breaks the ceasefire agreement. All the sticking points should be worked out Monday in Islamabad.
Trump wants to finish up the Iran War because he wants to move on to other projects like liberating Cuba from its communist dictatorship. Americans of Cuban descent want to see Cuba free and prosperous as never before with full U.S. cooperation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio would like nothing more than libeating the island prison that’s forced poverty and misery on the Cuban people since Castro’s 1959 communist revolution. Before Trump intervened in Iran, Iran’s mullah government was a menace to the Middle East, sponsoring proxy war and terrorism around the region. Iran’s mullah regimes knows that it can’t push Trump to start bombing its energy infrastructure and must settle the war in Islamabad. All the current attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz are designed to give Iran leverage heading into the next round of Islamabad talks.
Trump has done a masterful job of advancing U.S. foreign policy and national security, degrading Iran’s military capability, leaving it less a threat to its neighbors. When it comes to peace talks, Trump will get Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz permanently, allowing commercial shipping to proceed uninterrupted. Trump’s biggest disappointment is that the European allies have been utterly useless in helping open up the Strait of Hormuz. European Union countries worry about a shortage of jet fuel hitting the European community. But they did nothing to bring Iran back into conformity with international standards. Global waterways cannot be claimed a sovereign property by rogue regimes, simply because they practice terrorism to advance political ambitions. Trump showed Iran that the U.S. stands for a rules-based order and won’t tolerate terrorism and piracy.
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.
