LOS ANGELES (OC).–President Donald Trump decided today to temporarily end U.S. navy escorts of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, saying he was asked to do that by Pakastani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Sharif has been working behind the scenes with Iranian officials to end the over six week old war where certain sticking points make it difficult for Trump to give up on some promises to terminate Iran’s nuke program and take custody of some 1,000 pounds o 60% enriched uranium. Iran’s mullah leadership, now run the the Iranian Republican Guard Corps [IRGC] refuses to budge on the nuke question, something with much lest significance that it once had. U.S. and Israeli forces have all but destroyed for the foreseeable future Iran’s once threatening nuclear enrichment program. Trump needs to follow his Secretary of State Marco Rubio and cobbled together a peace deal.
Iran no longer poses the regional threat to Israel and U.S. allies, despite retaining a sizable battery of mobile rocket launchers, still capable of wreaking havoc on neighboring Arab Gulf States. Striking an oil refinery in the United Arab Emirates [UAE] today, Iran continues to exert pressure on the U.S. delegation to fashion a workable peace deal with Islamabad to end the war. Speaking today at the White House, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Operation Epic Fury was no in a “defensive” posture, only responding when needed to Iranian attacks. Rubio told the press that most of the U.S. military operation was over, letting Islamabad deal with the Iranians to fashion a long-term peace deal. “There’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first, OK?” Rubio told a skeptical press, accusing the White House of violating the ceasefire. Rubio rejected the press narrative.
Speaking for Trump, Rubio showed mastery of the press, letting them know who’s in control of the Iran War. A”We would prefer the path of peace,” Rubio told the press. “They’re sitting ducks, they’re isolated, they’re starving, they’re vulnerable,” “At least 10 salilors have already died as a result,” Rubio said, about Iranian swift boat operators attacking commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said the U.S. has a vast network of over 100 combat aircraft patrolling the Strait with orders to shoot-to-kill any Iranian swift boat harassing commercial ships or the U.S. navy. Cain said that with the 21-mile stretch of the Hormuz Strait, there’s plenty of room for Iran to hit commercial ships with drones and Cruise missiles, posing an intolerable danger to commercial shipping. Rubio told the press it was unacceptable.
Rubio’s long press conference today made the case, at least for now, that the U.S. was the only country stepping up to take action against Iran’s terrorism in the Strait. Rubio let the press know that Iran had no right to target commercial ships in an international waterway where some 20% of the world oil, natural gas, fertilizer and helium supplies transited the Strait before the Feb. 28 war started. Hapag-Lloyd AG, the world’s largest container ship companies with Maersk, said the risks in the Strait of Hormuz “remains unchanged.” Trump would have continued U.S. escorts of commercial ships but was aked by Pakistan to stop the practice so it could advance a workable peace proposal. Transiting the Strait “are for the moment not possible for our ships,” said Hapag-Loyd. Why other EU or Asian countries that get vital products from the Strait have done little.
Arab Gulf States, heavily armed by the U.S. have not responded to Iran’s unprovoked attacks. Iran hoped that Arab Gulf State would put pressure on the U.S. to stop the war if Iran hit their oil infrastructure. Arab Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia, want no part of any diplomatic relations with Iran. Iran once appealed to the Arab Gulf State to back the Palestine Liberation Movement, shunning all relations with Israel. All that changed in Trump’s first term with the Abraham Accords. After the Oct. 7, 2023, Arab Gulf State have stayed clear of Iran and its terrorists proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi rebels. Rubio realizes that Iran’s capacity to wage any kind of conventional war has been greatly degraded. Iran relies no on piracy and terrorist tactics, going after commercial ships with cheap speed boats armed with shoulder fired missiles and other small arms.
Trump stopped U.S. navy escorts to give Islamabad a chance to hammer out a lasting peace deal with Iran. It wasn’t easy for Trump to watch a U.S. ally the UAE hit by Iran today without responding. But if there’s ever going to be a peace deal, Trump knows he’s got to let Sharif do what’s necessary to get an agreement from a difficult group of Iranian mullahs. Trump once hoped he could bring about regime change in Iran, something now doubtful because the Nazi-like control over Iran’s youthful population. Over Dec. 2025 and Jan. 2026 the Basij militia and IRGC slaughter some 40,000 street protesters. So, when it comes to who has the guns, it’s not the civilian population. If Trump has long-term plans to topple the mullah, it’s not going to happen anytime soon. Only the Iranian Kurds have a vested interested to topple the mullah regime. Trump must compromise now for peace.
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.
