Tag: iran-war

ENOUGH ALREADY

As always, the contents of this blog are a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion, where indicated.

Like many of you I have become extremely frustrated by the lack of progress regarding the negotiations between Iran and the US. As you know, we quickly and easily defeated Iran militarily, destroyed its Navy, killed several layers of its leadership, knocked out its communications systems and have been choking its economy through the blockade of the Hormuz Strait. Some of you may recall that in a previous blog I opined that the military victory was the easy part. Now comes the hard part – winning the peace.

Negotiations have dragged on for weeks. At the present time, they are at a virtual standstill. We have made our demands clear, which include, among other things, no nuclear weapons, no enriched uranium, cease fomenting terrorism, and allowing free and unfettered passage through the Hormuz Strait. These are non-negotiable. They are the main reasons for the war in the first place. If we don’t get them, we will have wasted our time, money, and political capital for nothing.

Iran has not made any meaningful, substantive counteroffer. It is not even clear that its negotiators have the authority to agree to a legitimate deal and enforce Iran’s side of it. Iran continues to insist it will not negotiate the above issues. Instead, it wants to discuss the possible reopening of the Hormuz Strait, which, under international law, it had no legal authority to close in the first place. Its latest proposal called for the complete withdrawal of US forces from the area as a prerequisite for further negotiations. Naturally, Trump dismissed this sham proposal out of hand, characterizing it as “unacceptable.”

In my opinion Iran has no intention of acceding to our demands. Its strategy is what it has always been, delay, delay, delay and delay some more. And, from their point of view, why not? This “rope-a-dope” strategy has been successful every time with previous Administrations. Iran is betting that at some point public opinion, the rising price of oil, and the impending midterm elections will pressure the US negotiators to accept an inferior deal. Currently, according to the AAA the price of oil at the pump is hovering in the $4.50 range, and history tells us it will increase even further over the Memorial Day weekend. Before the war the price averaged $3.00. This is unacceptable.

Oddly enough whereas our allies are mostly supporting the Administration’s war efforts it has been getting strong (and inane, I might add) criticism from the Dem Party politicians, their allies in the media, and the anti-Israel/antisemites. Many Dem politicians have been characterizing the war as “illegal” due to the absence of Congressional approval and “reckless.” For example, Senator Tammy Duckworth and Rep. John Garamendi have characterized the war as a “quagmire.”

One problem for the Administration has been the contradictory messaging. For example, Trump has always described the war as a “short excursion” that would end in a “matter of weeks.” It has been almost three months, and the end does not appear to be in sight. Indeed, recently White House deputy press secretary, Anna Kelly told Fox News that Trump “is not in a rush” to end the war.

The latest Pew Research poll disclosed that Americans now disapprove of the war by 61% to 37%. This is exactly what the Iranians are banking on. In my opinion this level of disapproval will increase if the negotiations continue to drag on and the price of oil remains high, in which case it would likely impact the midterm elections.

Conclusion

Normally, I agree with Trump’s policies and actions. With respect to the Iran War, I agree it was necessary for all the reasons that have been cited in my previous blogs and elsewhere. I applaud his desires to try to reach a negotiated settlement to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. However, in my view the negotiations have gone on long enough.

It is clear to me that Iran will never agree to cease its nuclear ambitions, surrender its enriched uranium, allow free and unfettered access through the Hormuz Strait, nor cease fomenting terrorism throughout the ME and the world. Trump gave negotiations a chance. It’s becoming apparent that they will not culminate in a satisfactory deal.

I say, don’t fall for the “rope-a-dope.” Why are we negotiating anyway? We won; they lost. This should be an unconditional surrender where we tell them what we want and they comply, or else.

This may be our one and only chance to settle things with Iran in a manner that ensures a non-nuclear future. I say, stop “pussyfooting around.” Now, is the time to “drop the hammer.” I say employ any and all means to confiscate the enriched uranium, verify that Iran’s nuclear program has ended, and open the Hormuz Strait.

Enough already! We are on the one-yard line. Punch it in!

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PROJECT FREEDOM

As always, the contents of this blog are a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion where indicated.

Negotiations have gone on long enough. They are at a standoff. The time has come to act. It’s clear that the Iranians are not negotiating in good faith. They are doing what they have always done – stall, stall, and stall some more. This “rope-a-dope” has worked for years, and they are hoping it will work again. They are banking on political pressure from within the US, and they are getting it. Trump is being criticized for his handling of the war, the price of oil, and the rate of inflation. He is losing popularity, and the midterms are coming soon.

The Iranians have not and are not going to agree to our core demands. We don’t even know that the Iranians with whom we are negotiating have the power and authority to negotiate. We are receiving conflicting information. Who’s in charge? Is it the politicians? Is it the military? Is it the Ayatollah? Is the Ayatollah alive, dead or incapacitated? Is a small cadre of close advisors making decisions in his name? (This is eerily similar to the Biden presidency.)

As I have opined in previous blogs in my view, President Trump’s prosecution of the war has been flawless to date. In a matter of weeks our military has destroyed Iran’s nuclear capability, its military, its infrastructure, its communication systems and its economy. Militarily, the war a complete mismatch akin to an NFL team playing against a high school team.

Now, comes the harder part. We won the war; now we have to win the peace, which will be largely fought in the court of public opinion both in the US and abroad. Now, the overriding goal is to bring down the price of oil and hence the inflation rate. The blockade of the Hormuz Strait was a wise attempt to force Iran to surrender without additional loss of lives – ours and theirs. Trump was being considerate of the Iranian people who have suffered greatly and are continuing to do so. That is to his credit. Unfortunately, the blockade has not opened up the Strait. It has not revitalized the flow of oil. Americans are suffering and getting mad.

Now, Trump must take more decisive action. He has a plethora of choices ranging from continuing diplomacy to “letting the dogs loose,” i. e. resuming massive bombing and/or taking Kharg Island. We don’t have to “bomb Iran back to the Stone Age.” Just take control of its oil.

Wisely, he has chosen a “middle of the road” response. Just today he has initiated one of the mildest possible actions dubbed “Project Freedom” whereby US Navy ships will commence escorting commercial oil tankers through the strait. Many of these tankers are owned and operated by neutral countries who have had no part in the war. Nevertheless, they have been stuck outside the strait since the war began. At this point their crews are running low on fuel, food and other necessities. Trump said these countries have been requesting the US for assistance. The situation grew more critical over the weekend as Iranian boats attacked one of these ships. Additional attacks are feared. If this action does not work, he can always proceed with one of the more aggressive actions.

Several observers, such as Retired General Jack Keane, have been advocating for military action to resolve the Iran problem once and for all. There is merit to that position. This will probably be our one and only shot. We have a president who has the guts to do what’s right, not what is politically expedient. Unfortunately, Trump will not be president forever. His successors might be less assertive. Moreover, let’s not forget, we have three carrier groups in the area and thousands of jets and troops. We can do whatever we want.

Conclusion

Domestic support for the war is dwindling. Trump knows the midterm elections are only six months away. Politically speaking, this war must be resolved before then.

When all is said and done, the top issue for voters is the economy. Elections are always about the economy. Thanks to the rhetoric of the Dems and their allies in the media a goodly portion of voters are not even cognizant of the seriousness of the existential threat of a nuclear-capable Iran. They are unaware of the objective of the war and are questioning its necessity.

People are suffering, and they are mad. They don’t care about Iran. All they focus on is the high price of oil, now as high as $115 per barrel and $4.46 at the pump for a gallon of regular. Before the war it was significantly lower. Prices, in general, are high. They are reminded every time they gas-up their car, go food shopping, or pay the rent or mortgage. Naturally, they blame Trump for all of it.

As of early May 2026, President Trump’s approval ratings, heavily impacted by the economy, inflation and the war, have hit new second-term lows. For example, the most recent ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos Poll disclosed his approval to be just 37% and his disapproval at 62%. Unless these ratings rebound Republicans will likely lose control of one or both house of Congress. In that event Trumps’ program will be thwarted and he will likely be impeached again.

It’s time to focus on the needs of the American people, not those of the Iranian people. It’s time for Trump to refocus on his famous mantra – “America First.”

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TRUMP’S STRANGLE STRATEGY

As always, the contents of this blog are a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion where indicated.

I like President Trump’s current strategy to blockade Iranian shipping attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz. At this stage of the war, it is the best strategy. I prefer it over the alternatives such as additional massive bombing of Iran’s oil wells or agreeing to a peace settlement that falls short of the primary objectives of the war, which for those who may have forgotten is to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weaponry.

The obvious objective of the blockade is to strangle Iran’s economy by depriving it of its sole source of revenue – oil. Normally, some 80% of Iran’s oil and 20% of the world’s oil and liquid natural gas passes through the Strait. It is the best and most expeditious route for these products to transit between the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. As I write this, the blockade has generally been very effective even though a few ships have managed to sneak through.

Iran has no alternative sources of revenue. It has no other natural resources, no manufacturing to speak of, and certainly no tourism. All it has is huge deposits of oil, which heretofore have sustained its economy and funded its desire to foment terrorism throughout the ME and the rest of the world through various proxies.

According to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth all ships (some 34 in total) traveling to or from Iranian ports have been “turned around without incident.”  Moreover, the blockade has been expanding. As I write this, the US now has three carrier groups in the region. Hegseth added “just this week, we seized two Iranian ‘dark fleet’ ships in the Indo-Pacific region that had left Iranian ports before the blockade went into effect.” Furthermore, in posts on his Truth Social platform Trump claimed: “Iran is collapsing financially! [It] want[s] the Strait of Hormuz opened immediately. [It is] starving for cash! [It is] [l]osing about $500 million a day.” Recently, it was reported that Iran has about 127 million barrels of crude oil reserves that are stored in parked tankers. That sounds like a lot, but in truth it will not last long. But that doesn’t mean that the blockade wouldn’t hurt Iran,” he said.

For various reasons a goodly portion of congresspersons and other critics has opposed the war from its inception. As I explained in previous blogs they fall into four categories: (1) those with a political agenda whether or not it is beneficial to America, (2) “never Trumpers,” who blindly and automatically oppose any action or policy Trump undertakes, (3) antisemites and anti-Israel critics, and (4) those who are misinformed by the “fake news” media and/or ignorant of or choose to ignore the lessons of history. These categories of vociferous naysayers include many Dem politicians such as Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Gavin Newsome, Kamala Harris and AOC, who should know better. Perhaps, some or all of them should brush up on their knowledge of history.

On May 1 the Trump Administration may face a Congressional challenge with respect to the continued deployment of the military in Iran. Some Congresspersons have opined that the duration of the US’s military campaign against Iran is limited by the War Powers Act of 1973, which mandates that a President commence military withdrawal after 60 days unless Congress either declares war, authorizes the specific action, or extends the deadline. Congress has not taken either action and is unlikely to do so.

The Administration has “pushed back” claiming there is “no firm deadline for ending the conflict as it has not formally characterized the campaign as a “war.” Consequently, congressional approval is not required. The 60th day is May 1. We’ll have to see how this matter is resolved. It may require a ruling by SCOTUS.

Conclusion

The blockade has been opposed by the usual suspects as detailed above. Due to their ten-year record of lies, exaggerations and obfuscations that have invariably been ultimately debunked their opinion no longer has any credence if it ever did.

In my opinion, however, it has proven to be a very successful strategy. It has strangled Iran’s economy by depriving it of some $500 million of oil revenue per day. As a result, in addition to not having any nuclear weapons or an effective military Iran’s economy and finances are being severely degraded. It has nothing. NOTHING.

At this point, we don’t have to fight. We don’t have to risk American lives. We can just sit back and watch Iran strangle to death unless it accepts our terms.

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THE HARD WAY OR THE EASY WAY

As always, the contents of this blog are a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion, where indicated.

As I write this blog the US is attempting to arrange round two of peace negotiations with Iran. Predictably, round one did not yield any meaningful results. As always, the Iranian negotiators were not negotiating in good faith. Obviously, they did not have the power and the authority to do so seriously. Since then, it has become apparent that the country is in turmoil. There is a power struggle between the politicians who seem willing to be realistic and reasonable and the military, which is not. There is no clearcut leader, so a meaningful, lasting deal cannot be consummated.

Despite all the fake news characterizing President Trump as a reckless, heartless, warmonger the empirical evidence clearly illustrates that he wants a peaceful resolution to this war. Iran has been thoroughly and completely defeated militarily. At the moment, it is “circling the drain” financially and economically. Its navy has been destroyed; its nuclear weaponry and nuclear “dust,” Trump’s term to describe Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile and residual nuclear material currently buried under tons of debris that could be retrieved and “enriched” to make nuclear bombs have been neutralized; its leadership has been virtually wiped out; its communications systems are “shot;” its economy is destroyed; and the US’s blockade of the Hormuz Strait is preventing any ships from entering or leaving its ports. In short, Iran is completely helpless. It is at our mercy. Trump could, as he has said, bomb it back to the stone age. For them, continuing the war would be futile and suicidal.

I believe further negotiations would be a “fool’s errand.” It would provide Iran with another opportunity to lie, delay and obfuscate and turn public opinion in its favor. It’s what they have always done and what they will continue to do. They are not in any position to negotiate terms. Their choices are to (1) surrender and accept our terms unconditionally (the easy way) or (2) continue to resist and be annihilated (the hard way). At this point most countries would accept reality and opt for the easy way in order to retain some semblance of viability.

However, Iran’s leadership is dominated by fanatical religious zealots who have espoused the destruction of Israel, the US, and any other “non-believers.” We have to understand that they have no desire to negotiate a lasting peace treaty. They would rather fight to the end and die as martyrs. They have been attacking Israel, the US and others and fomenting terrorism through their proxies for 47 years. They have tried to assassinate Trump at least twice. They have no empathy for anyone, even their own citizenry who have been suffering greatly. After all, they have already slaughtered tens of thousands of them merely for the “crime” of protesting. They will fight to the last man. I applaud Trump for continually attempting to forge a lasting peaceful solution, but the time to “lower the boom” once and for all is approaching rapidly. The current situation is untenable. It is hurting Americans economically and, by extension, the GOP’s prospects for the midterm elections. In my view, Iran is akin to a cancer that must be extirpated.

Conclusion

The latest Reuters/Ipsos Poll disclosed that Trump’s approval rating has declined to 36%, which is a new low. A majority of respondents were critical of both the state of the economy and his conduct of the war. There is substantial pressure on him to negotiate a settlement even though we have not yet achieved complete and total victory and even if it would allow Iran to rise again in the future.

His critics primarily include the following groups:

  1. The “never-Trumpers” who will always oppose any action or policy of his. In this case many of them have openly stated that they would rather the US lose this war than see Trump get credit for winning it,
  2. those who hate Israel and Jews,
  3. the politicians (mostly Dems) who crave power over doing what would benefit the country,
  4. the well-meaning persons who have been gaslighted by the fake news media, and
  5. the inattentive and/or ignorant persons who neither know nor care about the lessons of history and have no appreciation of the gravity of the current situation.

Luckily, Trump is impervious to criticism and polls. He has consistently pursued the course of action that he believes is right, not one that is politically expedient. It’s what he is doing now. It’s fine to give a negotiated lasting peace a chance, but not for too much longer. I hope that Trump retains the fortitude to persevere and finish the job. To use a sports analogy, we’re at the one-yard line. Punch it in!

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A PEACE AGREEMENT WITH IRAN IS IMMINENT, OR IS IT?

As always, the contents of this blog constitute a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion, where indicated.

As I have written in previous blogs militarily, it was a complete mismatch, comparable to an NFL team taking on a high school team. In a matter of weeks, we have defeated Iran militarily completely and decisively. We have bombed them relentlessly (including destroying its nuclear capability, its nuclear enrichment sites, its factories, its communication systems, and its economy, among other targets), killed the Ayatollah and the top two or three tiers of Iran’s leadership, destroyed its Navy, taken out virtually all of its missiles, rockets and other weaponry, opened up the Hormuz Strait, blockaded the Strait to choke off any ships trying to enter or leave Iranian ports, and cut off its primary means of revenue – oil. Like I said, a total and decisive military victory. Kudos to President Trump, Secretary of War Hegseth, and the entire military hierarchy from the Joint Chiefs down to the enlisted men and women.

It was well-known that Iran was close to attaining nuclear capability. Its negotiators even bragged about it at one of the sessions. Everyone knew that the rest of the world could not allow that to happen. Something had to be done and soon.

Iran’s military was no match for the US. All that was required was a US president with the b**ls to do what needed to be done. Unlike predecessors Obama and Biden, President Trump was that man. He understood that history tells us appeasement never works in the long run. The other side views it as weakness and always seeks to take advantage. Aggressors will always keep pressing until they meet resistance. He was wise to Iran’s negotiating tactics and would not be deceived.

However, I believe all that was the easy part. Now comes the hard part, to forge an agreement that will last, that Iran will honor, and that future US presidents will have the fortitude to enforce if it doesn’t. In summary, we won the war; now we have to win the peace. More about this later.

As I have said multiple times anyone who has been paying attention to the news and is analyzing it objectively, rationally and coherently was cognizant that (1) Iran was close to developing nuclear capability, (2) was lying about it, (3) would likely use it once it had it, (4) could never be allowed to possess it, and (5) it was incumbent on the US to prevent it by force, if necessary.

And yet, the Dems and their allies in the media fought Trump at every turn. This was incredulous under the circumstances, but not surprising. As I have blogged many times, they have consistently opposed and denigrated every Trump policy and action. They have persisted even though it consistently placed them on the wrong side of various “80-20” issues. But this was different. We’re used to TDS. Normally, we laugh it off, but this situation presented an existential threat not only to the US, but potentially to the entire world as a whole. This situation had the potential to impact not only us, but also future generations. Obviously, they didn’t care. Obviously, they wanted Trump to fail even if it damaged our national security.

For example:

  1. At first, they insisted the war was illegal. The Constitution states that only Congress can declare war. True, but there have been a plethora of precedents in which the president has commenced hostilities going all the way back to Thomas Jefferson and the wars against the Barbary Pirates beginning in 1801.
  2. At the beginning Trump was labeled a “warmonger,” a “fascist,” and a “violator of human rights.” Later, when he agreed to a cease fire he was labeled “soft.”
  3. As I said, many of his critics were openly rooting for Iran just so Trump would fail and give them a political issue in advance of the 2026 midterm elections. For instance, NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman, a hardline progressive and avowed Trump-hater actually admitted that “although he doesn’t like [the] Iranian regime,” he is rooting for it because he “doesn’t want to see Trump or Bibi Netanyahu getting credit for what would be a historic win for global peace.”
  4. Reportage of the war was radically different depending upon which media outlet was reporting the news.

Conclusion

As I write this it appears that Iran is agreeing to all of the US’s peace terms. That’s great, but as I said above, given its history of lies and obfuscations a word of caution is needed. Negotiations are still ongoing. We cannot assume anything. We don’t even know for sure that we are negotiating with the persons who actually have the authority to make a deal. Iran could be stalling while it rebuilds and re-arms.

Moreover, even after a deal has been signed there will no assurances that Iran will abide by it. It will require continuous monitoring, probably indefinitely. Iran fears and respects Trump, but it is playing the “long game.” It knows Trump will be gone shortly. Its hope is that eventually we will elect another president who will be weak, lax or inattentive and will re-engage in appeasement. I hope not, but I fear it will happen.

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NO KINGS

As always, the contents of this blog are a compendium of various media reports supplemented by my personal opinion where indicated.

I was nonplussed by the most recent “No Kings” demonstrations. This was the third iteration, and the organizers are predicting (threatening) additional rallies prospectively. According to the Guardian, on March 28 over eight million people attended some 3,300 “No Kings” rallies in the U.S. and around the world, making it likely the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. I am continually amazed, appalled and even frightened by the dearth of some Americans’ knowledge of even the basics of current events, history and just general awareness of world events, and how easily they are continually manipulated by the radical left and the mainstream media, whose primary goals are to denigrate America and its system of government and divide the country. The organizers are radically left, highly organized, and well-funded. Many, if not most, of them are located offshore in communist/socialist countries.

With respect to the “No Kings” movement even the name is an absurd moniker that has no basis in reality. Trump is not a king, has not been acting as a king, and has no desire to be a king. He is not aiming to be president for life. After the 2028 presidential election he will leave the presidency just like all previous presidents have.

Most of the demonstrators don’t have the foggiest idea of the issues against which they are railing and don’t particularly care. All they know is that it is a protest against President Trump. What for, they don’t know or care. Some Dem politicians have even stated they are rooting against America just to hurt Trump. In my opinion, many of those who are protesting the war against Iran couldn’t even find it on the map much less have an understanding of the underlying and immediate issues.

Based on what I have bene able to glean from various news reports the major reasons for the protests are as follows:

  1. The Iran War
  2. High gas prices
  3. Inflation
  4. ICE overreach

I maintain that they are ignorant of the context of these issues. I have discussed each of these in recent blogs, but I will endeavor to provide a brief review at this time.

  1. The War – The overriding purpose of this war is to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear capability. No sane person wants that. We know Iran was merely weeks from achieving that goal. How? During the ongoing peace negotiations, they bragged as much to our representatives. We are highly confident that once they developed nuclear weapons, they would have no hesitation to use them. Their most likely targets would be Israel and the US, but they would have constituted a truly existential threat to the entire world. So, we are engaged in a limited war in the present to avoid a larger war in the future. If you think I am exaggerating the danger, review the history of the 1930s and the ill-conceived, ill-advised, and unsuccessful appeasement of Hitler. The people that are complaining that the war is “unnecessary,” “it’s not our fight,” and “we weren’t attacked” are woefully ignorant of the historical facts. In reality nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is we have been at war with Iran since 1979 when the radical lunatic mullahs took control of the country. Iran has established an unknown number of terrorist cells in the US.  Through its various proxies it has coordinated a plethora of attacks against both Israel and the US. It has planned and attempted the assassinations of various US officials including President Trump. So, this limited war is definitely necessary to prevent a significantly larger war later. Remember that old expression, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Rather than being vilified for his actions Trump should be applauded for having the courage to do what he is doing.
  2. High gas prices– It is true that the price of oil has skyrocketed since the advent of the aforementioned war, and that is a financial burden on virtually all Americans. However, this is a necessary short-term situation that will be resolved as soon as the war is over, which should be in a matter of weeks.  As I write this, according to Trading Economics and Bloomberg.com West Texas Crude oil is selling at approximately $104 per barrel, which is way too high, but, for perspective, in March 2022 during the Biden Administration the price was even higher, $130 per barrel. Furthermore, today’s price is due directly to Iran’s closing the Hormuz Strait whereas the price in 2022 was self-inflicted due to the Biden Administration’s ill-advised prolific spending.
  3. Inflation – The current inflation of 3% is too high, but to be fair, Trump did not cause the problem. He inherited it. He was in the process of addressing that issue before the war threw everything out of kilter. The price of energy affects the entire economy. After the war when the price of oil is under control the rate of inflation should decline to more acceptable levels.
  4. ICE Overreach – Briefly, the “left” has been complaining that ICE has been too aggressive in hunting down and deporting illegals. While there have been a few isolated incidents of violence these have occurred in sanctuary locales where the local law enforcement has exacerbated the situation by hindering, rather than helping the process. The larger point is that the illegals broke federal law just by entering the country. In addition, many of them were the dregs of society in their home countries and have continued to commit violent crimes in the US against US citizens. The perception is that the Dems favor the rights of illegals over those of American citizens.

Conclusion

Due to the foregoing, Trump’s current approval rating this month is the lowest it has been since his reelection. The fallout from the current problems is threatening to undue all of his prior accomplishments. With the midterm elections looming both he and the country need a quick and decisive end to the war. If the Dems were to take control of even one of the two houses of Congress nothing of substance will be accomplished going forward. His programs will be thwarted, and he may even be impeached again.

We are literally fighting this war for the sake of our children and grandchildren. Do we want to leave them a planet that is perpetually under the risk of nuclear war or one that is safe? That was a rhetorical question. I know the answer. Do you?

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