CounterPunch Exclusives

CounterPunch Exclusives

More Parleying Nonsense: Trump, Iran and Promised Negotiations

Photograph by Nathaniel St. Clair

It’s almost not worth considering, but precisely because it comes from the White House, the mad manoeuvrings and silly airings of the US President must be taken seriously.  But only to a point.  Over the last week, a series of events have taken place demonstrating the growing alarm within the administration that things are simply not going according to plan.  Iran is proving asymmetrically resourceful, threatening and durable.  Tehran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, waterway to some fifth of the world’s oil and global shares of other products, including gas and fertiliser, is biting financial markets.

On March 20, President Donald Trump openly considered scaling back operations in the war with Iran.  This assertion was somewhat cheapened by the deployment of 2,500 additional Marines to the region, along with a request to Congress for an additional $200 billion for the conflict.  On social media, Trump claimed that the US was “getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East.”

These objectives have always been hopelessly vague, but the President offered a few pointers that failed to clarify matters beyond the usual tactical triumphalism that has accompanied the briefings of this administration.  Iran’s missile capability, including launchers “and everything else pertaining to them” were being “degraded”.  Iran’s defence industrial base was in the process of being destroyed.  The country’s navy and air force, including anti-aircraft........

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