LOS AGNELES (OC).–At the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates, President Donald Trump postponed more bombing, recognizing the diplomatic activity has picked up since he returned from China. Iran’s has rejected Trump’s past peace proposals, demanding custody of Iran’s 1,000 pounds of 60% weapons grad uranum. Trump also wanted Iran to halt any uranium enrichment for 20 years, in large part because former President Barack Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA], halted uranium production for 10 years. Once Trump cancelled Obama’s JCPOA May 8, 2018, the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered accelerated uranium production, eventually leding to the 1,000 pound stockpile of 60% uranium. Trump cancelled the JCPOA because there was no U>N> inspections or way to verify compliance with the agreement.
Trump had called his situation room into action tomorrow to decide how to proced with the war, largely because Iran’s radical regime thinks it holds sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Republican Guard Corps has a terrorist swift boat fleet used to attack commercial shipping but has no legal right of sovereignty over an international waterway like the Persian Gulf. Whether or no the Arab Gulf State have anything concrete on Iranian proposals is anyone’s guess Trump has threatened to resume bombing before, only listen to Islamabad and now the Arab Gulf States. Trump has made it clear he wants to resolve the war diplomatically but needs Iran to open up the Hormuz Strait and stop enriching uranium. Trump showed a willingness to end his blockade on Persian ports, allowing Iran to deliver its oil and natural gas to China and India.
Democrats and the fake news like to disparage Trump, calling him the TACO President (Trump Always Chickens Out,” something so egregissly political that it bears mentioning. How can anyone play around with U.S. foreign policy and national security? Trump’s decision as commander-in-chief involves U.S. national security, not some game of bombing Iran to prove Trump can move ahead with more aggressive military action. `Iran’s ruling mullah government, now controlled by the IRGC, insists it’s making plans to turn the Strait of Hormuz into a turnpike where it arbitrarily charges transit fees to commercial ships. No oil or natural gas exporting country accepts Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Gulf Arab States pleaded with Trump to postpone his bombing campaign, something that could easily happen if Iran doesn’t give up control of the Hormuz Srtait.
At this point, Iran’s radical mullah regime operates in full terrorist mode, attacking commercial ships in the Hormuz Strait if they don’t acquiesce to its demands for cash payments. Extorting like that can’t go on on without a coalition of the willing forming to stop Iran’s piracy. Demanding that Trump pay Iran reparations is prepostertous considering the damage Iran has caused to global oil markets, driving prices through the roof and causing shortages especially with jet fuel in Europe. Unless there’s something that The Arab Gulf States know that Trump doesn’t know, the latest diplomatic delay could blow up anytime soon. Whatever deal emerges, Iran can no longer have control of the Hormuz Strait. Trump must make it clear to allies that Iran respect international law, not impose its piracy on the he global shipping community. Trum knows that time is running out.
Trump must decide how long diplomacy can buy time for Iran who has no intention to compromising with Trump. Global financial markets want stability not war but they really don’t want a terrorist state like Iran calling the shots in the Persian Gulf. Escorting commercial ships through the Hormuz Strait would be a good use of the U.S. navy. Iran’s fleet of heavily armed swift boats can be neutralized with U.S. navy assts escorting vessels through the Hormuz Strait. Trump doesn’t have to resume bombing of Iran’s energy infrastructure when they can escort commercial ships through the Strait while neutralizing the IRGC swift boat operation. Whatever diplomacy brings, it can’t turn the Hormuz Strait over to the world’s biggest sponsor or state terrorism. European Union officials have to take a stand on opening up the Hormuz Strait, not talking about unending diplomacy.
Iran’s mullah regime accuses Trump bo bullying the Persian nationl, trying to force Iran into submission. But Iran knows that no one in the EU or Asia recognize Iran’s sovereignty in the Hormuz Strain. So far, Europe has no skin in game, letting the onus fall on Trump. If the EU considers the U.S. .and ally, they should start acting like one, telling Tehran that they stand behind Trump’s efforts to open up the Strait to all commercial traffic. Watching Iran bomb a UAE’s nuclear site should remind everyone that Iran operates without any recognition of global laws governing international commerce. Dragging out diplomacy continues to hurt the global economy, stil driving oil prcies through the roof. Time has come for the EU and U.K. to tell Iran that thety’re joing the global fight to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s war must pivot to a global line of action.
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.
