LOS ANGELES (OC).–Striking more Iranian target over the last three days, President Donald Trump sai the ceasefire with Iran was over, resuming the same bombing campaign that degraded military targets over Iran. Trump said the MOU was over, knowing at anytime, diplomacy with various mediators could resume. WallStreet didn’t take the latest skirmishes seriously with crude oil prices hovering around $72 a barrel. Crude oil prices had been down to 468 a barrel last wee but had jumped with tensions between Iran the U.S. ratched up with some 80 strikes in Iran. Iran can only respond by firing ballistic missiles and drone at U.S. assets around the Middle Easte. Reoports of Arab States spells bad news for Iran. How long the mullah government can hold ou is ayone’s guess. . Between the Tehran-based mullah government and IRGC, they can’t decide how to go forward.
Iran hasn’t figured out that Trump won’t back down but prefers displomany over the current pattern of tit-for-tat strikes. What’s most pruzzling to Trump is not that Iran shows its self-destructive side, willing to destroy the country when diplomacy would allow Iran to sell its oild and natural gas on world markets to help its economy and currency to recover. But no, Iran wants to show its Middle East neighbors that it’s still a world power because it’s campable to producing ballistic missile and drones aiming them at U.S. and Mideast targets, formerly allies and economic partners. Since the war began Feb. 28, Iran has turned its former allies into bitter enemeines, now joining in Trump’fight. Trump can’t understand why the EU has turned its back on the United States. Trump doesn’t get that soft cultures of Europe choose to spend their wealth on socialist priorities.
One of the big debates heading into the 2026 Midterm elections is whether the country’s youthful voters have begun to siwng toward socialism. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has his base pushing the idea that the government’s tax policy should shift wealth way from the rich and provide more government benefits for the so-called working class. Like most societies, there’s always’s envy between the lower classes and the rich. Sanders likes to whip up newcomers, primarily Latinos, into expecting that the government should be paying for more health care, welfate and tetirmement benefits for the less established classes. Bernies likes to cite Scandinavian countries as the role model for the U.S. when they have small populations for the government to serve. Sweden has a populations of 10.5 millioon, the largest in Scndinavia, promising far mover per capital benefits than the U.S.
When you compare Iran to the United State, what is Iran doing trying to compete with the U.S. military? Most of Iran’s drones and ballistic missiles are easily intercepted with today’s technology, leaving its military incapable of defending the country. IF the Kurds really wanted toe care out a homeland in the border regions of Iran, Iraq and Turkey, now is the time to do it with the Iranian military in shambles with only the terrorist IRGC downgrade their capabilities. Fighting with the U.S. shows how self-destructive Iran’s mullah leaders, only concerned about saving face, not protecting their population from the ravages of war. Iran’s economy and currency can’t take more hits, devaluaing the currency, creaing the worst inflation in its modern history. Trump is toying with Iran at this point trying to prove a point but only goading Iran into more self-destruction.
EU officials seem content to let Trump manage his own war without getting involved in the decision-,making but, at the same time, showing no support for the U.S. objective of opening up the Strait of Hormuz. Brussels knows that the IRGC illegally stakes a sovereignty claim to the Hormuz Strait, believing they can charge whatever transit fees they wish. Trump and the Arab Gulf States have insisted that the Strait be fully open to commercial shipping because it’s an international waterway. Why the EU has done nothing to put Iran on notice to open the Hormuz Strait is anyone’s guess. Trump goes it on his own because nothing is being offered from the EU and NATO. When the war eventually ends,the U.S. government will have to take a close look on its relationship to the EU and NATO. Both have operated with a degree of neutrality no part of any ally relationship.
Keeping the Iran War goes does nothing for Iran other that destroy its infrastructure and economy. Trump can wait Iran out because he has the resources can do it. What can Iran do other than try with mediation to end the conflict that only depletes its resources and currency. Trump isn’t really asking Iran for that much other that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and dealing with its 1,000 stockpile of 60% enriched uranium. Since the U.S. and Israel has already decimated Iran’s under-and-above-group nuclear enrichment agency,. So, when it comes Iran making any concessions to end the war, it really has to do very little to satisfy Trump. Trump only wants the Strait of Hormuz opened so commercial shipping can be restored to reduce oil price and inflation around the globe. What does Iran have to lose by opening up the Hormuze Strait and letting commercial shipping resume?
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.
