Iran has the power to solve this problem if it wants to. All it has to do is make peace with Israel, as the old Pahlavi administration once did. Once that happened, the Trump administration would surely resubscribe to the original treaty and there would be no more conflict. However, the present government of Iran does not really want regional peace; it wants to wipe Israel off then map. That is the recipe for starting a major war.
Trump was wrong to back out of the Iran deal without strong efforts to re-negotiate with the EU at it's side. However, the Iran deal was no deal from the outset. And to pretend that Iran wasn't continuing with nuclear capabilities, while sending weapons to Syria and NK is utter nonsense. The 'deal' didn't limit those activities.
The US should work with the EU to establish diplomacy with Iran, even though Iran will not keep it's promises. Iran is like the rest of the countries where dictators rule - Saudi, Turkey, China, Russia. If it weren't for the fact that Saudi is Sunni and Iran is Shiite, Europe would be part of the middle east today.
The Europeans deeply resent the pressure... it disturbs the harmony in their lives, why can't these Iranians be civilised and let us be thrown them under the bus to be crushed by America's sanctions? Why fight the inevitable they say.
Why indeed, the real question is why did you sign the deal if you couldn't live up to its terms. Iran has, and by so doing it holds the moral high ground and if there is a war with all its wretched consequences, you own it, you made a promise you should have kept.
3
Europe behaves like a coward. They were once before confronted with US sanctions against Iran. That time they challenged the US that if the US sanctioned European companies those companies would be compensated and the EU would retaliate. It worked: no European company was sanctioned by the US for this reason.
That was the only correct answer. Accepting America's extraterritorial sanctions as a given means accepting that the US can dictate EU foreign policy. Unfortunately the EU until know for mysterious reasons have chosen this path. The INSPEX construction was never more than a pr operation to hide from the public eye that it was de facto capitulating.
It will be interesting to see how long the EU continues its cowardly behavior. At its core this isn't about Iran. Other US demands under similar threats will follow.
4
I don’t see why we have been “reduced” to calling for restraint. It is an honorable response and, looking at the last century if not millennium, the only reasonable one.
4
I live in Tucson and almost daily drive past the area of Davis Montham AFB where they store mothballed aircraft. Conspicuosly missing today are about 3 B-52 bombers. Hard to miss when they're parked and noticeable when they're gone.
Makes me wonder when the bombings will begin?
4
Dear President,Mr.Trump, the statement,"Iran felt it was not getting what it was promised economically from the deal even before Mr.Trump pulled out and reimposed sanctions" is quite enough for you to justify to open an overture with Iran working out an enhanced deal outperforming the 2015 deal drew by Mr.Obama. When the world survives on the
process of "Review,update and amend the agreement within a state,between nations and also among world power groups",there is no room for hesitation at your end to invite Iran and Europe to enrich Iran economically in order limit the enrichment of U-235. I have highlighted for the enhanced deal with Iran in my comment on " NYT's article
"Trump Adds Troops---Nuclear Deal" of June 17'2019 and reiterating the suggestion again today. Giving an ear to the grievances of Iran makes you won the match halfway and the rest is on the table of negotiation. Thanks.
1
trump has made the United States a lying mafia regime to the rest of the world. The trump base has made has made it very clear that morality has become an afterthought to Democracy.
7
Iran's ambition to become a nuclear power in the Middle East have long preceded any sanctions of the US. Iran wants to be the dominant power in the Middle East, and US/EU citizens don't quite understand that Iran's ambition's have to do also a lot with the centuries old war between the Sunnis(Most Muslim countries) and Shiits(Iran) fractions in Islam.The EU Is extremely weak in terms of dominating the future the western world and the western culture;it is essentially taken over by Muslim immigrants. Iran is a fanatic shiite trouble maker with militant proxies in Lebanon(Hezballa), Syria, Yemen, the Far East and Africa. A nuclear Iran will be far more dangerous than north cores. Iran must be contained! And anyone who thinks nuclear deals can do it is utterly naive. Trump has nothing to do with the fanaticism of the current Iranian regime. Let the US government and army if necessary do it's Job, so America will stay free and western culture preserved.
2
@lieberma
If Israel has nukes, why not Iran?
6
@lieberma Is that you Joe? Still promoting American wars in the Middle East since the last one went so well?
Still telling absurd lies such as that Europe "is essentially taken over by Muslim immigrants"?
7
@lieberma
You call that a job. Yeah, sure, a job.
Shame.
3
Dr. John
Seattle14m ago
"The level of pro-Iranian comments here is chilling."
AGREE the bleeding hearts of American liberals in support of Iran Sickens me. The same attitude resulted In the rise of Nazi Germany, WWII and 60 million deaths. Stop the fanatic regime in Iran before too late.
1
Trump Admin demands Iran comply with nuclear accord it pulled out of - seriously???
The time will soon come when the US will need allies. After all this bullying will they be there?
6
It is obvious that Trump has been escalating the tension of the Middle East for his own reason to win his election. The leaders of European and Asian countries should make every efforts to support Iran.
6
The level of pro-Iranian comments here is chilling.
1
The prospect of war is even more chilling.
The fact that many are suspicious of the Trump Administration adds to that, with good reason.
7
This is a nightmare ready to spring war. Obama had a deal with Iran and Europe iron clad in addition to the Chinese government Tpp deal... Trump destroy it.... Of course its for the interest of our nation nonetheless do we as Americans want to be known as breaching contracts with Iran or China lets go back to the negotiations table along with Europe and specifically England.
1
We, Europeans and the rest of the world, are fed up with the hawks' beating the drums of war. We are also worried how much sway this febrile “regime-change” rhetoric has over the US foreign policy.
Everyone knows that the 2015 nuclear deal world powers signed with Iran was flawed, and its malign activities – propping up the Assad regime in Syria and the Houthi rebels in Yemen, as well as sponsoring terrorism across the region – are condemnable.
The question is not whether Iran is bad – the question is what the best strategy is to deal with the threats posed by Iran.
The US must bear in mind that it had invaded two of Iran’s neighbours – Afghanistan and Iraq. The ramifications speak volumes. This administration has lost its credibility to start a dialogue with Iran, which plays a role in stabilising Iraq and Afghanistan, whether Trump’s allies – Israel and Saudi Arabia – like it or not.
We, Europeans certainly agree with Benjamin Franklin: "Tart words make no friends; a spoonful of honey will catch more flies than a gallon of vinegar."
5
@J. von Hettlingen
Here is a chance for Europe to step up and drive a wedge between itself and the USA.
3
I'm not sure how I see Iran facing off with the U.S.. Although Iran is not completely innocent with regards to its actions in the region, I don't really see any evidence for a direct confrontation with the U.S.. The facing off seems completely unidirectional with the U.S. persistently challenging and pressuring Iran, beginning with pulling out of the nuclear agreement.
2
Most folks seem to not see that ALL of the President's decisions are based on his businesses. Iran is fighting a proxy war with that bastion of democracy and tolerance Saudi Arabia. 0 business with Iran vs lots of money to be made with the Saudis. Where do you think he's going to apply pressure?
5
Where is the United Nations? Where are the Democrats? Eerily silent on this very dangerous situation.
8
Not a lot of game right now in the Democratic Party between Nancy, Chuck and the 23 candidates.
4
Where are the Democrats? In the process of giving Trump term 2 with the moneyed elite who handed it to him in 2016
4
I'd like all those who support this latest escalation of tensions between us and Iran to state, in very clear, unequivocal, and verifiable terms, what exactly Iraq did to this country which supported our invasion and decimation of it?
Good luck. Because the fact is, Iraq did absolutely NOTHING to this country. Just as Iran, so far, has done NOTHING to this country. Except in the deluded fantastical mind of our "stable genius", and his entourage of draft-dodging sycophantic war-hawks like John Bolton.
7
Perhaps Donald Trump can get Michael Bay to direct this latest opportunistic global conflict, while casting him as the heroic decorated war hero? (Complete with George W. Bush style combat uniform and fruit salad)
After all, it couldn't be anymore ridiculous then having a pathetic, two-bit, two-timing, draft-dodging, reality television country-club boor like Donald Trump as President in the first place.
6
I’ve got whiplash
I don’t know how we went to having a president so elegant,
respected and trusted worldwide, and was clean as a whistle,
to this rancid thing despised worldwide and debasing everything it contacts with.
15
Who didn’t see this coming??
Donald Trump screwed this up to exercise his right to be a narcissistic bully, in an attempt to make himself feel important and powerful.
Iran was complying with the terms of the agreement.
Trump brings in Pompeo and Bolton, two people who should not be allowed anywhere near any government position.
This is what we get. Another war because the power hungry crazy people are in charge.
The American people don’t deserve this.
The world doesn’t deserve this.
12
U.S. military forces were at war for all eight years of Obama’s tenure, the first two-term president with that distinction.
He launched airstrikes or military raids in at least seven countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan.
That is two more than under Bush.
4
Point is he was cleaning up the mess left for him like the economy.
4
As an American born US citizen with family in Iran, I am scared.
Scared because America broke the JPOA without any effort to replace it. Maximum pressure invites maximum peril.
Scared because America has sidelined our interlocutors without any resistance. Nobody is in a position to de-escalate.
Scared because Iran’s hardliners have been empowered by America’s belligerence. Khamenei knows how to launch aggressive, deadly attacks throughout the region.
Scared because the international community has done nothing to reduce the chance of war. All the post-WWII multilateral organizations we founded cannot stop us from escalating, no matter how much they plead.
Scared because so many young Americans and Iranians are willing to lose their lives fighting in this war. Or worse yet, don’t even care.
We can lay this crisis at Trump’s feet, or Khamenei’s, or Bolton’s, or Sulimani’s. But the reality is that every single person who saw generations of young men die in wars and did not learn enough about how to construct peace shares the blame.
We have slid towards this crisis for 70 years. Now I’m scared it too late.
DEMAND FOREIGN POLICY BASED ON OUR VALUES, NOT INTERESTS.
10
well said...
2
Europeans are horrible allies for the U.S. They care more about Iran than the U.S. who actually carries European defense on its back. Another article here referencing the German Marshall Fund, another lobbying entity that has become transparently anti-American. I don't understand why Democrats love Europeans who love Iran who hates America. Iran is a known vile influence in the region and the world who's sole contribution to civilization is terror. Paying them ransom to not build nukes is a horrible precedent, which never works. Bad regimes should be shut down, not coddled.
@TL - We have a bad regime right here in the USA. Yes, let's shut it down!
6
Just how will you shut them down? Are you prepared to invade and wage a 20 year war until saner heads end it? Then endure countless years of terrorism from the relatives who were killed for your crusade?
3
We’ll be shutting down our own vile regime in 2020.
4
There can be no doubt in any reasonable persons mind that the real threat to American security here is Donald Trump NOT Iran. Bloviate all you want, but it not going to change the fact the Donald Trump is the one that tore up the agreement that was, independently verified, as keeping Iran a nuclear weapons free country.
Donald Trump started this needless escalation. And there is nothing, nothing, that anyone can do or say that can change that fact.
And those who continue to harp on Iran being a "bad actor" are conveniently forgetting the entirety of the Iraq War. A massively destructive and costly affair that was based entirely on carefully constructed and systematic lies propagated and sold to the American public by George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and the GOP.
And, it is now quite apparent that a certain portion of the population never learned the lesson of the Iraq War, or they have already forgotten it. And the price of that ignorance could very well spell the end of a very large part of the human race.
Then again, for so many of the same people, "Science is just an opinion! No better or worse than any other!". If we don't start to wise up very soon, and right our ship, we may very likely find, too late, that we no longer have the opportunity to. And which point the usual, "No one told us!" finger pointing amnesia will kick in.
9
It seems obvious why the Trumpettes want a confrontation with Iran: they want to sell arms to its regional rivals to the tune of billions. A war might boost consumption of said weapons in the short term, thus invigorating demand, but, ultimately, it would be bad for business when tens of thousands die and the global economy crashes... hopefully not beneath the inference of a Russo-American nuclear exchange.
This is why Russia profligates in cyber warfare and election meddling. It needs to feel equal to the hard power being projected by the US. We’re trapped in a power struggle between imbecilic titans.
7
New Rule: If you have never been in a war, you are not allowed to start one. Are you listening Mr. Bone Spurs?
15
@Ellen
Obama was never in the military — and he expanded wars, sent troops to Syria and invaded Libya.
1
Yes for a little thing called à ISIS
2
The Gulf of Tonkin, Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, and now the gulf of Hormuz.
I smell a rat. The rotten smell of mendacity is hanging in the air. I don't believe anything the president or his cabinet say about this. We've got Netanyahu and the Saudis egging Trump on and doing whatever they can to drag us into another war. Trump owns this. We had as good a deal on the Iran nuclear build up as we were going to get. And by most accounts the Iranians were abiding by it. Then president Bone Spurs decides to pull out and drive the Iranians into a corner. Cornered animals, people and nations can be really dangerous.
I would not be surprised if our allies don't believe this either.
This is what we get when we end up with a president who has lied about all things great and small since he announced for the presidency and long before that.
I have grandchildren who are approaching military age. I would rather see them leave this country than fight in a war ginned up by Trump!
15
It's pretty easy to see who the bad guys are in this confrontation... Hint: It's not Iran.
They have no discernible motive.
But others do.
It's no coincidence that these suspicious shipping attacks and follow-up aggression started with the election closing in and Trump free-falling in every poll, including those conducted by Fox News and his own (now fired) contractors.
After two-plus years of escalating criminal activity and general depravity, all thinking people know that this bellowing self-serving empty suit will do anything to extend his period of White House asylum another four years.
If that means starting a bogus war that destabilizes the Middle East (again) and puts YOUR kids in harms way, so be it. Trump, Pompeo, and Bolton wouldn't give any of it a second thought - They are the new version of Cheney, Rumsfeld, and "oh wait, there he is again", Bolton.
And something tells me Trump's close business ally and Iranian arch enemy, the Saudis (and their murderous prince), are deeply involved in this trumped up mess too.
11
What do the EU have in common with Trump's US?
Trump has aligned himself more often with dictators than allies, and done his best to destroy democratic ideals.
11
This is a great opportunity for the E.U. to step in and play an important role neutralizing the Trump/ Netanyahu suicidal military adventure. Iran, by all accounts was operating within the framework of the nuclear treaty. Trump/Netanyahu conspired to break the treaty, create a dangerous mess and cry wolfe. Don’t fall for it.
9
Iran is pushing Europe into the "battlefield". Europeans have to decide from themselves their position.
1
@Trassens Iran is not pushing Europe anywhere, the US is playing bully-boy.
Why? No one knows for sure, could be Saudi Arabia's gold, could be US defense contractor's pockets, could be future planning for Trump Inc. empire, but what everyone does know is that it sure ain't Iran that started this.
8
Sorry, YOU are pushing us in the battlefield!
Under all accounts Iran was so far complying with a nuclear treaty YOU unilaterally pulled away from.
Just as for the war in Iraq, your current administration is triggering this soon to be colossal mess... again.
7
Every reason you stated applies
1
How many wars has President Trump started or expanded?
Now let’s ask the same question about President Obama.
3
@Dr. John
How many wars did Obama start? None. Zero. Not one.
How many did he bring to a close that were started by George W. Bush, a man who lied us into them, 2.
Would Obama have started a war just to avoid going to jail? No. Because he didn't have that threat hanging over him the way Donald Trump does. (With, what, at least a dozens criminal cases, so far)
Would we have gone into Iraq if Al Gore's election hadn't been stolen by a politically corrupt Supreme Court? No. We wouldn't.
How many GI's would still be alive now, if Bush hadn't been given the election? 4,410.
How many innocent Iraqi men women and children would still be alive? ~200,000
How much money would still be in the treasury? ~Five 5 trillion dollars.
How many soldiers wouldn't be suffering from PTSD right now? ~100,000.
So please, spare us all the inane and unjustifiable comparison.
Comparing Obama to either Bush or Trump is like comparing the Iraq War to Benghazi, and concluding the Benghazi was a thousand times worse. Only a true-believing political prevaricator could proffer such nonsense as legitimate.
11
Ooh, ooh, I know this one.
And yes, Obama replaced about ten thousand of the troops that’d left Afghanistan. Not so long before you lot started howling about how he needed to bomb Syria.
If you want to yap at the man, you’d do better to say a word or theee about drone strikes. Or would that bring up Trump getting 130 civilians blown up in an Iraqi basement, because he expanded the ROE and some locals took advantage to call in a strike against their own people?
Trump? Yemen and Syria. That makes two. But never fear: Trump’s working on two more.
6
It is always amazing how one can turn to the past to justify an obvious wrong doing in the present.
Wasn’t President Trump elected also on the promise not to start a war?
It has been just over two years of his presidency and the world has never been so dangerously polarized since the Cold War.
We don’t live in the past. We live in the present!
8
Appeasement has never worked for the Europeans yet they continue hoping that Trump, like threatening dictators before, him will be satisfied by his latest demand (but not last) being met. Strongman leaders have only contempt for their toadies although the obedience flatters their ego. If Europe wants to embrace its permanent servility to the US the course is set and the outcome assured. Next up is changing your government to service all US desires.
5
If Europe is stuck in the middle Canada is stuck between Gog and Magog. We have watched our country torn apart because so much of our economic good fortune is the direct result of our proximity to the USA. We are at war with America's strongest ally Saudi Arabia and our ethics and values clash with America's neoliberalism and our belief that mutual respect and a desire for relationships to be mutually beneficial.
We knew we could not trust the USA when Trump was a Democrat and TRump just made it official. It is the USA that writes its own rule book and we can only run uphill.
We know that even as we wish a pox on both the USA and Iran the pox will deal us a most severe blow.
7
As a US citizen, I personally apologize to Canada
3
Trump and Cheney want another war. Good for business.
5
It's time for European push back against Trump/Pompeo bloviating. They should let Trump know that US stands alone and everyone understands that this made up crisis is just another Trumpian distraction. (cough, cough)
15
@Middle of the Pacific
Telling Trump that the U.S. will be standing alone means nothing. It didn't make a bit of difference to Bush, why would it to someone like Trump?
3
@Chicago Guy Yes, there are similarities, but Bush got his orders from Cheney, Rumsfeld & even to his lasting regret Powell. Trump, a coward gets his advice from Bolton who he ignores and Pompeo who follows his orders. The Europeans are not stupid. They will not allow their countries to follow a fool.
2
Maybe we can get Obama to round up a team,
and fix this big mess Trump made.
3
@New World Unfortunately that is the way it goes, the Republicans make a disastrous mess, jack up the deficit, all but bankrupt the country, plunge people into poverty, and the Democrats spend most of their time in office cleaning it up.
Time to get off that train and pass some laws with teeth that limit presidential power and uphold ethics. This is not a absolute monarchy, oligarchy, theocracy although you'd be hard pressed to understand that with the way the Trump kakistocracy behaves.
5
Just because Europe does not know what to do in reaction to American provocations and threats does not mean it is "stuck in the middle". It only means they are cowards who cannot stand up for what is right. But so far the US has not launched any missiles. And a full scale invasion of Iran is totally impossible given that the US has no reliable intelligence or allies in the Middle East. Which explains there singular lack of success anywhere and why Bolton and Pompeo are nothing but hot air.
8
Europe has to play tough now that U.S. is showing intransigent postures about anything disagreeing with its unabated search of undivided power over the world. The world was clearly a better place under Obama who was acclaimed in Europe and respected all over. With good relations you can obtain almost all of what you want or need. Leadership is a function that most evolved humans have to show at the crucial moment and Peace, History has shown, is the best way to advance civilization, even business some cynics would add...
3
Europeans and American Democrats are blaming Donald Trump for “backing Iran into a corner,” but Iran is the bad actor here. Iran could have used the nuclear deal as an invitation to rejoin the world economy as a normal trading state. But it used the financial windfall to finance its missile program at home and spread terror abroad.
The best way to reduce the danger of a shooting war in the region is for Europe to join the U.S. in a united campaign to persuade Iran that its only path out of sanctions is to renegotiate the nuclear deal and cease its export of revolution.
2
Yeah!
I mean, it worked with North Korea!!!
Seriously, did it ever occur to you that what Trump’s done is empower the very worst people and groups in Iran, and weaken those we could actually work things out with? And give the government a scapegoat?
How ‘bout this: maybe not everybody on the planet is as impressed with us as you are, and maybe other countries have their die-hard patriotic types too.
8
Nonsense. The US withdrew from the deal, a deal which Iran was adhering to letter and verse. If the US had other terms that they thought Iran needed to meet, they should’ve made it part of the agreement. The US is the bad actor here, unfortunately.
11
@P&L " The best way to reduce the danger of a shooting war ... to renegotiate the nuclear deal and cease its export of revolution.
Been there, done that, Trump tore the agreement up, what's to say he won't tear it again. Trump is not trustworthy, no one believes him and especially not the other signatories to the agreement: EU, China, Russia and Iran. Trump is the archetypal boy who cried wolf.
4
One of the most oil rich countries in the world needs power from a nuclear reactor?
"In January, Iran's nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, told state TV that "despite pouring concrete in pipes within the core of the Arak reactor ... Iran had purchased pipes for replacement in case the West violated the deal." They had the pipes before they poured the concrete.
If this was really for peaceful purposes he would choose his people and alleviate their suffering. For they have enough energy to last them a few lifetimes over.
They get until 2030 to perfect a ballistic missile that has capablity of carrying a nuclear warhead. Then after 2030 there is no cap on enrichment. Brilliant!!
So we will basically be in the same position in 2030 hoping Iran changes its war culture and extremism. (People were literally arrested for dancing to the song Happy).
Better now than later, the longer you wait the less options you have.
I still really don't understand why we're paying for Europe's security, especially if they don't want to secure a vital energy route.
2
Great solution. More fossil fuel pollution
3
The agreement with Iran was not a “treaty”.
It was a deal made between Iran and the Obama Administration.
Much was kept classified, preventing the American people from knowing what it included.
Obama did not even allow Congress to vote on it.
2
Actually, Congress refused to. And we certainly know the major provisions of the deal, if not every technical detail that probably shouldn’t be circulated.
But please, feel free to rechant what Hannity says. Over and over and over and, well, over.
18
Q) Who thinks that Donald Trump would be willing to start a war, in order to bolster his chances of a second term, just to avoid going to prison?
A) Anyone who knows him.
As soon as I realized he had stolen the election in 2016, my first thought was, "He's going to start a war."
Considering the GOP learned less than nothing from their last foray into the Middle East, except how incredibly rich all their contractor friends could get, and considering how there was zero criminal and political accountability for it, the question they must all be asking themselves is, "Why not do it all over again!?"
If Bush and Cheney had been sent to the Hague, as they should have, for lying this entire country into an illegal war of choice and political convenience, then we wouldn't be staring down this current barrel of a gun, loaded for bear, by our current draft-dodging coward of a Commander and Chief.
Does anyone in their right mind think this is going to end well?
15
I cant figure out what does the USA want these days?
To have a military conflict in Venezuela?
Trade war wihtin NAFTA?
To punish Mexico for Central American refugees?
Brexit?
Trade war whit China?
Regime change in Iran?
Trade war wiht India?
Love letter from North Korea, but no action?
Boris Johnson as UK prime minister?
Cyber war with Russia?
To defend the erosion of democracy in Poland?
To hate the EU for giving fines to Facebook and Google?
It is hard for Europe to navigate the icebergs ahead, when everything changes by a twiiter tweet. So i hope Europe will keep the middle for the days, months and years to come.
14
This cast of characters generally believe they'll gain instant entry to paradise by serving their respective Gods in the Apocalypse. We're just along for their ride.
4
@Steve Bolger forget paradise. In 18 months Trump will be begging for mercy from state judges for his crimes against us all, even the malcontented 40% among us.
2
Trump had to cancel the Iran nuclear deal because it was Obama's.
If we had first put a man on the moon under Obama, Trump would cancel the space program.
Such pathological insecurity in a president calls to question his fitness to command and, therefore, is a concern of national/global security.
14
@Alex Cody
Within the category of executive agreements, there are gradations. There are “congressional-executive agreements,” in which Congress authorizes the president to negotiate an agreement—trade deals like NAFTA, for example—and “sole executive agreements” backed only by the president’s executive authority. legal scholars argue that the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, which set up the review process, was a NAFTA-like authorization to negotiate. Others say it was nothing of the sort, and that the Obama administration has consistently said the deal is “nonbinding.” The distinction matters as it could determine whether the next president actually has the authority to tear up the deal “on day one,” as several Republican candidates have promised
The U.S. has two major ways of entering into international agreements: treaties and executive agreements. Treaties are legally stronger but harder to pass, because they require a two-thirds majority in the Senate in order to ratify. For that reason, executive agreements, which don’t require congressional approval, have become far more common, though generally for less consequential agreements than the Iran deal.
The White House never sought to make the Iran deal a treaty. Lesser status of an executive agreement was the major point of Sen. Tom Cotton’s infamous open letter to the government of Iran back in March 2015. But the law is frustratingly ambiguous on which agreements are important enough to rise to treaty level.
2
The self-proclaimed "very stable genius" is being led by the nose by Bolton and Pompeo.
Will we feel good when these two charlatans when these two old war hawks have led us into their desired total global war?
Trump has an incredibly unfocussed mind, but he knows he needs a diversion from all of the Congressional investigations of his crimes and money laundering for Putin.
A "wag the dog" apocalypse followed by 20 years of occupation might not make America great again, but all the death and destruction Trump, Bolton and Pompeo can cause will fill the media for a while.
10
Don't forget Netanyahu and MBS.
9
Iran has long wanted to join the nuclear club with its own deterrent. The Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) resulted in 500.000 deaths on both sides. If Iran had one then, it would have been used. Middle eastern and north African countries (look at their history) have always been violent, and unlike cooler European and American heads, would likely use the weapon offensively.
1
If Europe is in the middle, that is their own fault. They need to tell Trump to sit down and shut up so the adults can handle the situation.
All of the coddling this guy gets is just as dangerous as Trump himself. Stand up and tell the moronic US President to stand down.
14
It seems at reading the comments here that Americans are ignorant of the history of the Middle East and of the manipulations of the British and USA all along the 20th century and then through the war in Irak and Koweit.
Why did the Iraki invade Koweit ? Because the British and American oil companies were pumping oil from just the border underneath Irak .
4
The Europeans must face the facts -- Trump is their enemy here, not Iran. They really don't want to fight him. It is too disruptive. But they'll have to make some serious choices. So far, their temporizing has amounted to a refusal to deal with their real problem.
10
I imagine trump is pressuring Europe to step up to be a new “coalition of the willing” and put their troops in harms way before ours. And if they don’t, tariffs? The world may have to come together against us!
7
Pretty obvious that the Saudis and the Israelis are pushing this hard and the fact that Trump is listening is a direct result of their influence over him and his family.
12
we can all agree the EU looks desperate and weak
4
If Trump wants to start a new war then he should start a Military Draft. Perhaps send his own sons off to fight. Let’s see how that works out for him.
7
Contra nihilist modernism, there is no moral equivalence between The US and Iran. The US defends the individual rights of its Enlightenment origin. Iran’s Islamic totalitarian culture is committed to Jihadist war against individual rights. America, even with its nihilist modernist flaws, is vastly more moral than Iran. We should have invaded it and Saudi Arabia on 9/11 and publicly killed their religious leaders. We should do it now.
1
Unfortunately what we have witnessed since Trump being in the Oval Office is that the “sacred” US moral values have been seriously put at stake on numerous fronts.
What moral values does your your current administration actually
stands for these days?
No matter how hard I try I come up with no clue... and this is certainly worrying most of us abroad. Maybe you can at least enlighten us on that one instead of playing solo with matches.
Your mess is soon to become ours. Please try at least to understand that at this very moment your administration is our biggest concern. Not Iran. Who could have believed that?
7
@Sammy Azalea: The US has religious fanatics ardently striving to make it a theocracy too.
5
Obama's treaty was merely for show and politics. It did little to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and actually freed up billions for them to do so. It was still celebrated by the liberal media as a great achievement.
Trump had the choice to sit back and do nothing or actually take action to prevent them from developing them. Trump decided to do what is best for the United States and is unfortunately faced with cleaning up Obama's mess
1
Really? So far, it looks like Trump is a complete failure when it comes to N Korea and Iran.
The great deal maker is dud. He has no idea what to do.
5
"both Washington and Tehran seem set on raising tensions — risking a conflict"
That is untrue. It is the DC Bubble version.
Iran has no choices but this, or total surrender. Trump had assumed he'd get a total surrender. That was always fantasy, and not to be blamed on Iran.
Trump wants Iran to give up what it got in the agreement. Why would Iran do that? Nobody would, in response to withdrawal from an agreement.
11
Europe is not stuck in the middle. They are sitting on the sidelines waiting to see which way the wind blows.
They’d prefer to keep selling Iran Euro-products on easy credit knowing that we, and not the Euros, will have to handle the nuclear capable Iranian regime they enabled.
1
One of the major reasons we are here today as Trump immediately reneged on the agreed upon deal with all parties involved without first a replacement now he has no credibility with all that has gone on lately. So how are we to expect Europe to now have our back. Everything in this Administration has come to be suspect this does not bode well. How can one make a deal with someone who can not be believed to even honor it, so much for the great deal maker. Behind the scenes there are elements that wants a war as if we are not involved with enough engagements around the world.
5
@Derek Blackshire: Rule of the wise #1: Never create a vacuum you can't immediately fill. Something unpredictable will fill it if you don't.
4
This article portrays the US and Iran as equally responsible for escalating tensions when it is quite clear that it is the US and its regional allies, Israel and the Gulf monarchies, that are eager for a confrontation. It also falsely suggests that the Europeans believe that Iran was responsible for the attack on the oil tankers when in fact skepticism on that question is very widespread. As such, this article should be regarded as contributing to the US war drive even while affecting a stance of evenhanded neutrality.
The US reneged on an international agreement and is bullying the rest of the world into honoring its sanctions even though Iran's compliance with the deal is contingent precisely on the lifting of sanctions.
What does it mean to describe Iran as out compliance with an agreement that the US has already effectively annulled?
How precisely should Iran respond to these provocations?
5
The US and Iran are confrontational, but at least they have certain principles. Europe just wants access to the Iranian market. Until it creates a foreign policy that goes beyond economic interest, Europe's influence will remain essentially regional.
3
“A foreign policy that goes beyond economic interest”?
Where and when have you heard of such a thing? Utopia Land?
Foreign policy has always been driven everywhere by economic interest and the US is certainly no exception... and as far back as the Boston Tea Party.
Who could truly believe that the US foreign policy ever went beyond economic interest?
France turned out to be the US very first ally by sheer economic interest to happily weaken the Brits. And now all of a sudden this is unacceptable from Europeans?
Where are your “principles” when you supply Saudi Arabia with weapons worth billions of USD? A country that financially supported the 9/11 attacks. Isn’t this driven by economic interest?
One should put his house in order before blaming his neighbor for the upcoming mess.
5
Why did the main promoter, the USA, pulled out of a nuclear treaty with Iran that allowed all powers to monitor and control nuclear development without having to invade or destroy? An Obama Administration accomplishment is not a valid reason or excuse, and it the current Administration thinks it is, it needs to get out town ASAP, yesterday.
5
@Jgrauw
The deal was NOT a treaty.
Pres Obama did not submit it to the Senate for ratification.
Point of order!
Exactly whose oil, and access to that oil are we talking about protecting from Iran?
4
The Israel/Netanyahu/Adelson/Mercer/Bolton roles in fabricating false narratives and intelligence to ratchet up tension between the US and Iran cannot be overstated, as was the case with the run up to the Iraq war.
11
Most of all, Europe wants is continued access to the Iranian markets :
Iran : après PSA, Renault et Airbus,Total à son tour pénalisé par les sanctions américaines
(Europe 1, AuG 21, 2018)
Iran: After PSA, Renault and Airbus, Total , in turn is penalized by American sanctions
PSA is the second largest car manufacturer in Europe
Total is French multinational integrated oil and gas company and one of the seven "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.
4
In response to NYT headline "Europe is Stuck in the Middle":
No, the Iranian and American people are stuck in the middle. I am sure that neither people want a war.
10
Iran's missiles are threatening the 30 U.S. bases surrounding it. It is breaking U.S. law by trying to feed its people. It is splitting the E.U. from the U.S. by demanding that the E.U. keep its promises and implement the SPV enabling Iran to import goods considered legal by the E.U. and the U.N.. It is stockpiling enriched uranium because the U.S. has prevented Iran from exporting it as required by the nuclear accord.
Iran is a disgrace. It must be bombed to oblivion or, as Hillary Clinton eloquently put it, "bombed back to the Stone Age."
Long may America the Beautiful, Defender of Human Rights and the Shining Light on the Hill, keep the peace in this barbaric region of the world.
1
There are many good comments here. The "main" issue here is that US was part of a multinational team that made a treaty (deal) with Iran and then only the USA reneged on it. USA simply cannot walk out on a deal where there are many parties to which it belongs. USA cannot expect it's partners to go along with its changed ideals unless they are also in agreement. Iran did not make a singular deal with USA. The deal was with the entire world. As another commentator has said earlier the treaty is: USA+Europe+Russia+China+(others) VS Iran. Now, if USA does not want to be part of its group then it can walk away from it and has no right to impose sanctions. All other nations who are party to the deal with Iran must ensure that.
It is clear that USA is being a big bully here and every nation on this globe must stop the USA from strong arming Iran. Now the world's coalition has to be with Iran leaving USA to be alone. If USA attacks Iran then the world must side with Iran and defend Iran and make all effort to neutralize US armed aggression.
USA must not dictate how everyone conducts itself of its military strength. There should not be any bullies on this planet. The right to exist on this planet does not only apply to USA and Israel. Everyone has this right and some nations have been around longer than USA so their right to exist is even stronger.
13
@NA
A deal is not a treaty.
Per the US Constitution, a treaty must be ratified by the Senate to be in effect.
Posting from Canada, you get a pass. My fellow Americans who think it’s a treaty should be ashamed.
1
@EGD**** what is this the new Fox talking line. The deal was not a treaty so we don't have abide by it. Honestly you Trump people don't know your tooth from a hole in the ground. Serious people worked very hard for 2 1/2 years to put this together. To bring Iran slowly into main stream orbit of nations. It also prevented them from having a nuclear weapon for at least ten years. And by all truthful accounts it was working. What is your alternative to start WW3? Do some research about where these facilities are, They can't be bombed. Who are we to tell another nation it can't defend itself. Trump doesn't have a clue what is in the agreement. This is all happening because Israel & Saudi Arabia, for their own reasons want it too. Our congress overall is the bag for the Israeli lobby. The other countries of the world want to trade & open up relations. Not keep starting wars everywhere. The world is too small now for that. We gave our word and it was a good thing. Now on every front, because of this insane admin. we are creating instability everywhere .... stability that is a word you should put in your pocket
5
The agreement with Iran was not a “treaty”.
It was a deal made between Iran and the Obama Administration.
Much was kept classified, preventing the American people from knowing what it included.
Obama did not even allow Congress to vote on it.
4
'they (EU) are basically powerless in the face of American military and financial clout'; the inevitable end of another imperial power is neigh if all is not nuked first. What arrogance on the part of the US-Israel Axis.
3
The moment Trump appointed John Bolton I feared that there would be war with Iran. Bolton was removed from the UN because of his aggressive views on regime change. Netanyahu went behind Obama's back to congress to promote a war with Iran.
M.B.S. is stockpiling weapons (and we are supplying them) and his enemy is Iran. I expect there is no way we can stop this disaster from happening. Iran is no threat to the US but the Sunni are. Iran has helped us in the fight agains Isis and Al-qaeda while
Saudis supported them.
62
@marjo tesselaar >Iran has helped us in the fight agains Isis ....
.......
Pragmatism disintegrates the mind into isolated facts. America need the Enlightenment ideology of rational individualism.
2
@marjo tesselaar
"Europeans... they are basically powerless in the face of American military and financial clout."
If Europe submits to US idiocy, the world is doomed.
Europe needs to stand up to the US.
Creative, bold thinking is necessary.
20
@marjo tesselaar:
my heart sank, too, when bolton became
SECURITY adviser - of all things ...
meanwhile saudi arabia gets nuclear tech
which israel already has, no problem at all.
and i watch powerlessly, while the US use airbases
in my [european] country to ship more troops and
military equipment to the middle east
[while half a million people are starving in yemen.]
i hope, europe finally sees the opportunity to grow a spine!
6
The most idiotic part of this is the US proving to Iran that they really need nukes.
18
I thought i once read that Iran has the largest army in the world? If that is true, what is the purpose of sending 1,000 soldiers to the mid-east? Is it to threaten/frighten Iran or is it (in typical Trump fashion) to mislead his supporters?
5
Ask Putin to intervene with Iran...Iran will listen to him...
3
Iran is not "facing off" it is "fending off" the US aggression.
22
Sorry folks but this is just the US being stupid.. yet again. First it was in Iraq and now its Iran. The GOP, and its fools like Bolton and Pompeo, just don't get it. What is their strategy ?
12
Europeans must be thinking
Clowns to the left of me
Jokers to the right
18
The problems are not the nukes, the problem is another middle-east nation harassed. Iran is giving us europeans an headache, their warmongering, their hate for israel, the war in Yemen, does not make us confident. But they are the counterbalance to saudi-arabia, which is an hotbed for wahabism, salafism, extremism, sponsored by arabian monarchs, who use bonesaws on their political opponents.
It is the shia militia of iran, that counters the sunni extremism. Defeating iran could empower exactly those kind of islamism, we should fear most. This would mean more refugees, more terror in europe. America can shield itself from the consequences of creating misery and chaos, we europeans can not.
This is why we are so wary of Bolton and Trump. They can make a mess, but we europeans are the one who will deal with the consequences. And every time Trump tells us, more bombs and a big beautiful wall are the answer to everything, i could puke.
14
@Mathias Weitz
Of course, Germany could actually meet its NATO defense spending commitment.
You know, in case a member is attacked.
@EGD
In the last 4 years we have taken in 1.4 million refugees from the middle east and other places. We are hosting twice as many refugees as the rest of europe.
This is our contribution - nation building.
You americans do the bombing, the chaos.
We germans take care of the refugees, enabling to do what we germans really know how to do, building up a country after a ravaging war. We have our expenses, not in guns, but in people. This is a much better expenditure, we are investing in not being attacked in the first place.
7
The USA (and some European nations) believe that they have the right to tell other nations what they can or cannot do within their own countries.
Where did this overwhelming arrogance come from?
Click below to 'find the answer'. Thanks.
https://chiniquy.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/the-all-mighty-creator-does-not-have-a-son/
4
Another Trump policy that alienates us from our traditional allies, sows discord within the EU, disrupts world markets and raises the global value of Russia's only real physical asset.
Huh.
6
It seems there is a lack of information about Iran’s close ties to China and Russia. Iran is not a stand alone country like Saddam’s Iraq was before the 2003 invasion by US forces. An attack on Iran will lead to the closing of the Strait of Hormuz. China get’s most of it’s oil from the Gulf. With no oil going to China a war with the US becomes likely. Let’s not forget that Russia is also an ally of China. The idiots in the Trump Administration are setting the table for a global war. In that context America in the 21 Century can no longer assume that such a war will not effect the home land.
8
@Taher
Or, China deploys their blue water navy into Gulf to preserve freedom of navigation through the Strait. They already patrol off the African coast.
2
@GWB, yes, the Indian Navy is already patrolling the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. Also, Indian oil refiners are designed to refine Iranian oil for decades.The US is becoming one of a number of global powers and not the only superpower. Many of our citizens have difficulty to wrap their heads around it.
5
The EU is in the top 3 economies of the world. Time for them to put on their big boy and girl pants and negotiate their own way in the world.
Just passively saying “we have to follow the US” won’t do anymore.
6
Time for Europe to lead.
9
The US has evolved into the military spearhead of among others, Britain, Europe, NATO. The EU if you will. We do their dirty work for them.
If the US invades Iran the EU will be right there with us because we do do their dirty work.
All the rhetoric is just the “Con Art of the Deal” leading up to war.
1
The Trump administration has no end game for removing its economic blocade. The Trump team claims that they don't seek the destruction of the Iranian government, but that is exactly their naive aim. Lets examine why this is an incredibly stupid goal.
First, Iran is governed by a stable constitution that has been scrupulously observed for forty years since its inception. Regime change would mean trashing the Constitution. Not likely!
The nation is not a dictatorship, although Ayatollah Khamene'i does have the last word on many issues. Its presidents have served their terms and left office, replaced through elections that for the most part free and fair (the 2009 election being the possible exception). It has an active parliament with clear political factions and lively debate. Laws are not rubber stamped.
Second, there is no viable replacement for the current government. Bolton seems to entertain the fantasy that the Mujaheddin-e Khalq (MEK) could take over. This terrorist group is despised in Iran. They could never rule.
Third, Iran has a robust internal economy. it is capable of producing everything it needs to be viable including food. building material and technical equipment. Unlike Iraq, Iran would easily survive a siege.
Finally, Iran is huge, with a population of 80 million and a potential fighting force of 20 million. Iran survived a debilitating 8 year war with Iraq with immense patriotic fervor. A US war for regime change would be an unmitigated disaster.
9
@William O. Beeman
Going back further, the U.S. and Britain removed a democratically elected Iranian president in 1953 because he had the audacity to insist that a whopping 16 percent of profits from Iranian oil go to the Iranian people. He was replaced by the Shah (no "democracy" there), who set about murdering his own people.
5
Proper diplomacy is totally foreign to Trump He operates with "a huge stick and a big mouth" and expects Iran to trust him? He unilaterally broke out of a mutually agreed position on nuclear proliferation, creating chaos with our allies, but cow towing to war monger Netanyahu. With Bolton and Pompeo, he has cornered himself into one alternative...attack Iran and draw the ME into a maelstrom.
5
the nations with nuclear weapons telling iran that they can't have nuclear weapons because that would make them too powerful and then they couldn't tell them what to do / look at it from the iranian perspective or atleast from the perspective of their political leaders and the hypocrisy is obvious / iran is a wonderful country with an amazing culture / they have contributed much to the development of humanity going back to the beginning of civilization and beyond / of course we don't look at it that way in our political/economic calculus - we just see factions and competition and gaining an advantage / hafez the national poet of iran says "Forget every idea of right and wrong any classroom ever taught you. Because an empty heart, a tormented mind, unkindness, jealousy and fear are always the testimony that you have been completely fooled! Turn your back on those who would imprison your wondrous spirit with deceit and lies. Come join the honest company of the King's beggars - those gamblers, scoundrels and divine clowns and those astonishing fair courtesans who need Divine Love every night."
2
Remember, Saudi Arabia donated tens of millions of dollars to Hillary and her family foundation.
Just imagine if they donated millions to Trump’s family.
2
Iran needs to stop its supporting Hezbollah in Lebanon, its bloody proxy wars in Syria and Yemen. Europeans, who need the oil Iran sells and the markets for their products Iran will buy with the oil money. Europeans are being forced into Russia arms for oil and gas and they dont like it.
2
The Europeans, Chinese, Russians should boycott travel to the U.S. until Trump, Bolton, et. al., stop the madness and harm they are causing, not just in the mid-east, but to the entire world economy. This U.S. administration is so unwittingly dangerous they could drag the U.S. into a quagmire from which there will be no recovery. Fire Bolton before sunrise and ship him to an island with no communication.
5
Europe is NOT POWERLESS!
These leaders have contacts in Congress, with governors, within the Intelligence Community, and with the US military brass at the highest levels.
USE THEM! Message to anyone in the US that will listen! Republicans MUST learn of the grievous, lasting harm they are inflicting on US interests - and European investment in their favorite projects - by continuing to bow down to the warmongering madness raging in the Trump Administration!
The E.U. as a body, and NATO as well, have big sticks. Start bashing US politicians with them until they take action!
There is absolutely NO excuse for handwringing helplessness!
7
The rest of the world needs to stand up against our warmongering American government. The time is now.
9
Why does this article repeatedly refer to a nuclear "deal" when there is no deal? The Trump Administration pulled out of the "deal." There is no such thing as a one-sided deal, yet the author(s) talk about whether Iran is complying, or will comply.
“The European role should be to attempt to reverse this vicious cycle and ensure that Iran sees an interest in living up to its side of the bargain even with the U.S. violating it.” That is the most intelligent statement in the article. Lift the sanctions! This message to the Trump Administration, the NYT and many of its readers: "Stop trying to get us into a manufactured war with Iran!" Didn't you arm-chair warriors do enough harm in Iraq?
5
This is another national emergency created by our feckless President. I hope Europe can bring some intelligence and calm to the situation.
11
The sole reason why Trump threw away a perfectly viable deal with Iran is that it was a diplomatic masterpiece crafted by Obama's administration. Now the whole world is fearing the consequences of a probable escalation, US citizens included.
War should be the last resort when all diplomacy fails.
45
@Nik
Trump didn't throw away the deal with Iran solely because it was crafted by Obama. Trump was kowtowing to the wishes of Netanyahu and Adelson. Trump will jeopardize the U.S. economy and the safety of Americans to please those two backers.
10
@Nik--Perhaps it is time for "whole world" to step in and do something about it. Europe is a good place to start. Time for Europe to show some leadership instead of just complaining about Trump.
6
Why are the Europeans afraid to further alienate Trump? He will not be kinder or gentler to them. He is jealous of their leaders. He has proven to be an undependable ally, unfortunately for Americans. Europeans should challenge him and call his bluff. Oh God please don’t let this man get re-elected.
10
Could Trump be pushing Iran towards a war to try and bolster (or is that Bolton) his chances in the 2020 election? Seems a bit to much like a deliberate and thought out agenda for Trump. Trump's tactic has always been to just throw mud at the wall and see what sticks. As usual, it leaves everyone else covered in mud.
6
"...carefully judged messages of impatience and even pleas for help from an Iran that is suffering badly from the sanctions."
Ah, if only the US was doing anything at all these days with careful judgement.
1
What on earth made Europeans think they actually have sovereignty over their inernational affairs? Europe is and has been a US vassal since WW2; just because we let them sit at the adult table doesn't make them so. May be this and Trump's other bullying tactics will force them grow a spine and push back. If and when they do, US will have paid a dear price for Trumpism.
1
I don't trust anything Trump says about what's going on with Iran. He's lied so much about everything you can't believe anything he says. When a true crisis arises, the majority of the public will not support him. Next time we vote for president the most important quality should be trust.
4
Its not really hard to choose between sanity and insanity. Trump team wants war with Iran, does Europe want the same thing?
2
An attempt to leverage in interest of millions of Middle Eastern lives -- the US assertion of secondary economic sanctions on European parties to the Iran Nuclear Treaty must be challenged. If such "authority" exists in the treaty's fine print, it can be challenged. At least, we must be informed of the exact wording under which compliant parties can be punished for bilateral disputes. Neither Iran or the EU signatories have violated the treaty to date, yet Iran has been subjected to a draconian blockade (remember Japan, history buffs? And now the US is blackmailing Europe into acquiescing to this US/Isreal/Saudi Arabia axis dispicable power play.
6
Trump has no choice. The republicans in the senate are the deciders if we go or not. If Trump strays from the republican agenda McConnell can drop the axe.
1
@Mathias. The Republicans are too afraid of Trump to act as a check on his actions. McConnell is up for re-election in a state that idolizes Trump. He's not going to stand up to Trump.
Trump won't bother to ask before going to war. He'll commit the military, and then dare Congress not to back him up.
2
@Barry Short They are not afraid of Trump, they are making out like bandits, they are on a roll however bad for the country it is.
"Me before country" is their motto.
1
Here's what I don't understand. We've had sanctions on Iran since shortly after the Shah fell. Under Reagan, both Bushes, Clinton & Obama. Obama persuaded Europe, Russia & China to join in sanctions. That brought Iran to the negotiating table.
But now we seem to be able to unilaterally impose sanctions which are more stringent than ever. What happened? What is this administration doing that surpasses what Reagan and the Bushes did?
Are there dangers to us in these sanctions? Is that why Reagan and George Bush refrained?
One possible danger is persuading the rest of the world to stop using our financial sector. Why do they have to? Seems like the price now is you become our puppet, forced to join in sanctions which you don't believe in.
3
The Iran deal was useless, as it didn't stop that Islamic Regime to spread its influence in the Middle East and empowering Hezbollah and Hamas. It's one thing to stop Iran acquiring the nuke but it's barely enough, Iran needs to be contained until the Iranian people managed to overthrow Islamism and move toward the open society they deserve.
The Europeans know that, but they'll rather swipe that reality under the carpet and let the US deals with instability in a few years.
Europe chooses not to frack and instead to relies upon Russia and the Middle East for fossil fuels. That is not an admirable "green solution" it is simply externalizing environmental concerns. It also makes Europe subject whims of its suppliers like Iran.
Why not use fracking as a bridge to a sustainable solution that has a combination of renewable energy and reduced consumption. Then we could all work together to contain the wannabe nuclear powers of the world.
In the world of Real Politik that is an essential plan both for us and our allies.
The Trump admin's calculus goes like this: the base wants a war, maybe it gets some Jewish support, but we can't win a war (without a draft.) So lets bomb em and look tough, but try to avoid war. Best to wait till the election gets closer, and put off disastrous repercussions until after it.
There will be blowback from oil companies, who have Trump's inner ear. But that's offset by Saudi love and money. The wild card is China. They have the wherewithal to keep Iran afloat. But a Trump bombing campaign would provide China cover to meddle in Hong Kong.
1
@Brian. You're right that the timing of a war is critical. It won't happen this year because costs of the war will be all too apparent by November. It'll have to be close enough to November that the initial "shock and awe" will still be in the voters' minds and before it becomes clear that Iran and its proxies will turn this into a protracted conflict with no easy resolution.
1
This senseless provocation by the US must be viewed in light of Trump's larger crusade of antagonism of every other player on the planet, save Saudi and Israel. It's behavior I recognize from when my bitter, senile grandmother lashed out against the family members who still bothered to see her in the nursing home.
This article fails to explain why Europe is unable to bite the bullet and defy American sanctions. They must know that the current rift in the trans-Atlantic relationship is either temporary, and in need of a tonic shake-up, or permanent and not worth preserving. We deserve to be alienated for the maladministration of our demented leader. And if a centralized "Europe" is so weak that they can't muster a maneuver like this, then I don't see any geopolitical reason why the EU should continue to exist.
I want someone, somewhere, to get mad that the US is acting like this.
4
Completely absent from this article is Iran's funding of terror groups un Lebanon, Gaza and elsewhere. Simply put, Iran does not need to squander its own peoples' well being in a foolhardy attempt to eradicate Israel. That is what is causing all the problems. Give peace a chance!
2
Whatever Obama did, Trump must undo. It doesn't matter if it's working, if Obama did it, it must be undone. That's the basic, decision process laid bare.
The madness of this situation should be patently obvious and the next step for such deranged leadership should also be obvious.
But it's not. 43 senators allow the madness to fester and infect every nook and cranny of government. We're at the point where our national security agency is afraid to discuss policy with Trump because Obama created it.
3
One thing is now clear. Trump completely owns our present situation with both Iran and north Korea and no amount of denials can abrogate his responsibility.
Saying that Trump has torn down agreements to control Iran's nuclear program and done nothing to create anything better. And I for one do not feel any security in the fact that Trump and Kim share love notes while Kim grows his weapons arsenal.
Trump's egotistical view of the world creates a blindness in him that allows no international cooperation on vital issues. It seems Trump even lies to himself. All his empty words denials and bluster will not help us all as the bombs begin to fall.
37
@just Robert
"Trump completely owns our present situation with both Iran and north Korea..." and China, and Canada, and Russia, and Mexico, and...
2
Europe needs to abide by the commitments of the deal until the deal expires or Iran breaks it.
Any other ending, for Europe, will signal it is as unreliable and volatile as the US, and will heavily reduce the chance for diplomacy to succeed with the actors of the region in the future.
The US has already lost so much credibility and reliance, all other actors have to show that US bullying is not what they consider diplomacy. Everyone's safety depends on it.
And since the US do not believe in alliances, Trump will take siding with them as validating bullying behaviour and will go even further with its demands, until the only mean of resolution left is war.
18
Difficult situation indeed, courtesy of the Trump Administration. It appears that it is America that is caught in the middle of Saudi, Israeli and Iranian intrigue. All middle eastern actors using American leverage to outmanoeuvre each other using American blood and treasure. Cleaver diplomacy that is wearing down the American public and image.
What is at risk here is not only the threat of an unnecessary war, but the risk that America will lose the "goodwill" of its Saudi "ally". If America were to defeat Iran in a costly and disasterous war, the peace that follows will be just as difficult to maintain. What would appear is a Saudi dominant region that would saddle the U.S. with prohibitive occupation/rehab costs causing resentment among Americans that its Saudi ally is now without a regional challenger. American diplomacy should be focused on balancing the two regional powers without becoming too involved militarily. Destabilizing Iran will tempt Russian co-operation with Saudi Arabia while U.S. debt and a weakened Iran will hobble middle eastern stability. In 1975, Saigon fell; in 1979 the Shah of Iran fell; the U.S. under Trump risks losing Saudi Arabia. The Domino Theory in slow motion perhaps. An Administration in reverse. Who is really stuck in the middle?
5
I agree with Mr. Shapiro's comment: "Iran has a wider aim... The Iranians are not trying to figure out what to get away with without angering the Europeans. They’re playing the same game they did in 2003, which is what every country does, which is trying to get closer to a nuclear weapon without retaliation.” It sounds to me that the Western Europeans are hoping their Nuclear agreement would bring a different result than Munich Agreement that Neville Chamberlain signed in 1938. We all know how that turned out. One should ask why does Iran want nuclear weapons & delivery systems. Do you think Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt & the UAE will stand still without gaining the same ability. Do you think Israel will allow this, since they will see it as a threat to their national security. Iran is destabilizing the Middle East. The Nuclear agreement is not a balanced agreement, since it will eventually allow Iran to build nuclear weapons. The Islamist Republic of Iran has not moderated toward the West or its values in it's 40 years of existence. So Western Europe is buying a few years to deal with a much bigger problem. No deal is better than a bad deal.
8
@Rod
It seems that you have not read or understood the agreement with Iran. Neither the situation is like in 1938 when there was no technology to verify compliance of agreements. Every country, including Iran, have the right to develop a nuclear program with civil purposes. And why Israel is allowed to have a secret nuclear program for military purposes?
3
@Rod Wrong, Rod. The way forward is (was) to stick to the Deal until it expires, then to insist on a follow-on deal to continue the first one, then another at the end of that one, etc., thereby preventing (a) Iranian nuclear weapons and, just as critically, (b) a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Trump is blowing up the Iran Deal because (a) Netanyahu is telling him to do just that and (b) he has no clue about what the deal was about (no nukes for Iran) and is really only motivated by sticking his finger in Obama's (and John Kerry's) eyes. Trump is being manipulated due to (a) his ignorance and (b) his oh-so-weak psyche.
4
@C.L.S.
The 'Deal' was just Strategic Patience wearing a disguise. Also known as Kick the Can Down the Road. Time passes, no matter who sits in the White House and there was nothing in the first 'Deal' that would lead anyone reasonable person to believe there would be subsequent ones.
The Persian people and culture have been oppressed since the current regime took power in the 1980s. The reasons to oppose Iran go beyond depriving them of nukes. They see us as the enemy and over the course of decade have worked to support Islamic theocracies across the Middle East. While Obama's deal was effective, albeit temporarily, on the nuclear front, it removed sanctions that had shackled Iran in its other activities. While I hate Trump I never liked Obama's deal for this reason. However, I'm not convinced that leaving the deal once it was already signed was good for us either as our economic sanctions are far less effective without the Europeans and others on board.
15
@TS I'm no fan of the current theocracy in Iran but pretending the Shah wasn't oppressive is silly. He didn't fall by accident, he had alienated many Iranians.
From my point of view the fall of the Shah and the rise of Khomeini made Iran worse. But there are many, many Iranians who feel quite differently. Their points of view also count. (And don't forget about Mossadegh. The Iranians certainly haven't.)
Stepping back and taking a wider view, compare Iran to Turkey. Urban folks don't much support either government but many rural folks do.
Taking even a wider view, we have the Gilets Jaunes in France and the Trumpists here. Seems like the rural folk are in an uproar all over the place.
Will this lead to wars? Lots of wars? This would be a really good time for a steady hand on the tiller.
5
@TS
How did the previous regime before this one gain power?
2
@TS The Persian people were oppressed long before that under the Shah, who was essentially installed by the U.S. and U.K. because we didn't like their democratically elected president.
Iran's religious leadership is dangerous and harmful to the country and the entire Middle East. However, the U.S. made a deal and then reneged. There is no way they are going to believe that a new deal will hold, even if they could see their way to making one. Our president and our country have little to no credibility now.
48
This publication has no courage when it comes to putting the truth in perspective. Here is the journalistically truthful headline that they afraid to publish because it seems they believe that telling the truth might cast them as "liberal". I'm getting ready to cancel my subscription as I feel like I'm getting less news and more spin on an increasing basis.
"As Trump moves to Start Illegal War and Pressures Iran at Every Level some European Leaders Question his Sanity"
It's clear the neocons want a war, the Saudi's want a war and thus Jared who has loan reciprocity reasons wants a war, and Israel wants a war too. Trump wants a war to distract from the facts of his ongoing and past obstruction, not to mention his public pronouncement that he'd like more foreign interference in our democracy.
To the Editors of this paper: "Get some backbone." Please stop playing footsie with the truth. Please write honest headlines. FYI, why don't you research who your readers are and what they really expect from a paper that is supposed to be the standard by which journalism is judged.
72
Yeah, they do consistently make the mistake of assuming that if they report the facts as best they can, intelligent adults will be able to connect a few dots for themselves.
No wonder you’ve waxed indignant.
3
@Tom Paine
Very well said Tom!
3
@Tom Paine
Agreed.
3
We know what possesses Donald: narcism, insecurity, diversion...
But what possesses the warmongers...Bolton, Pompeo, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz...?
The obvious quick fix would be to send their kids to the front first.
26
Only Trump can fix this crisis since it was only Trump who created it when he unilaterally pulled out of the Iranian nuclear deal. We can't stop Trump from doing stupid and dangerous and things, but we can vote him and the GOP out in 2020.
32
@Bert
Trump cannot fix anything, not even any mess he creates.
1
Iran....I think Trump just wants to start a war. A president in time of war is always re-elected.....or so he thinks.
19
@Carol. A war with Iran will not be a quick victory, or a victory at all. It will be protracted and messy. When Tehran isn't occupied in 30 days, many of Trump's supporters will turn on him -- I hope.
2
Old people creating wars for profit and killing of our young men and women for another monument in DC......
33
@equalizer thats not niceee?
The Allie's should not be spineless like the GOP & call out Trump & the administration for abandoning negotiations.
We need to all contact senators to stand up. We cannot allow yet another cycle of destruction. It sickens me.
12
I still don't understand the demonization of Iran. For the most part they seem to be acting in ways that are similar to other sovereign nations, that is, defending their culture, their values and their interests. It's obvious that it really comes down to the enmity between the Sunni and the Shia, and we have obviously doubled down in favor of the Sunni, headed by Saudi Arabia.
Is Iran a terrorist state? I don't see the evidence. For one thing, they are not killing thousands of innocents in Yemen as the Saudis are, and for no other apparent reason than they can't tolerate the thought of a Shia government on their border. Iran has also not murdered a western journalist and dismembered his body, or spread a poisonous doctrine throughout the world. And lets remember, ISIS was and is a Sunni political movement, engendered by our catastrophic mistakes in Iraq.
So what of Iran? They made an internationally supported agreement to restrain their nuclear ambitions and were apparently in compliance with it. Yes, they got their money back, but the pro-Sunni faction in the United States somehow sees that as treason.
As far as I can tell the Shia have much less to answer for than the Sunni.
44
@Antoine
While I get the point you are trying to make, and I agree in large part, let's not lose sight of the fact that Iran really is a pretty bad actor. The Saudis and Iranians are acting out their version of the US-Soviet cold war across the Middle East, complete with covert (and not so covert) military support and funding for rebel groups and militias that threaten each other.
The Saudis are bombing Yemen, while the Iranians are the ones funding the people they are bombing. Iran supported some militia groups in Syria.
And it's not like Iran has a materially better human rights record than Saudi Arabia does. Plenty of press restrictions, politically motivated imprisonments/disappearances, etc.
The "good guys" (the Saudis) aren't actually very good, but let's not lose sight of what the "bad guys" have done to deserve the label.
1
You can always count on UK pushing war for the US to fight, never on its own. Trump must now act to protect the future settlers of Trump Heights in the disputed Golan. No collusion there.
6
@Marty Rowland, Ph.D., P.E. If the current tension escalates to war there is no chance that the UK parliament would vote to take part in it. The very painful lessons of the Iraq war and the fictitious "weapons of mass destruction" have put paid to automatic support for US interventions in the middle east. Equally, the consequences of the UK and France's intervention in Libya - instability and a migrant crisis (a real one) - have made the UK very cautious about further attempts at regime change. UK voters would not wear it.
31
@Garry Taylor Agreed that no sane person would expect military involvement from the UK to pull Trump's chestnuts out of the fire. In addition to this crisis being precipitated by Trump, Trump has also been busy destabilizing NATO.
While Trump is president, we can't be trusted.
6
Sadly, even if Iran was a credible threat, this desultory POTUS and WH have no credibility. The US and all nations know every word and action by POTUS is a dogwhistle to anger and rally his 2020 supporters.
19
This corrupt WH has broken treaties and promises with everyone. It continues to alienate its former allies. It serves only the interests of POTUS and MBS and Putin (ie. his personal financiers for whom he launders money.)
Time to let the US go it alone.
16
Remember when Tony Blair (Bush/Cheney's "poodle") went along with our bogus catastrophe of the Iraq War? This is yet another instance when it appears the EU nations are stuck going along with this Bolton-fomented mess. When are we - citizens of the U.S., impoverished by our bloated military and sickened by its incursions into nations as the aggressor force - going to say no, enough is enough?
14
@Ellen. The EU is bigger than the US. It finally needs to assert itself.
This is a crisis of Trump's own making.
The United States brokered a multi-lateral deal that everyone, including Iran, was honoring. It wasn't a perfect deal, but it was the best that could be had and had stopped Iran's push for creating a nuclear weapon.
Trump broke the deal, probably because it was part of Obama's legacy, which he seems intent on destroying. Europe is in a tough spot because if they cave to Trump, they'll be breaking a deal that Iran had been honoring. Iran will soon have the weapons that everyone feared and the can expect far more bullying from Trump since his tactic had been successful.
As Trump's recent call for election help from foreign nationals, Trump believes that he can do as he wishes and there will be no consequences. That's not good for anyone except Trump.
69
@David
Was it before or after the 'Deal' was signed that Iran put our sailors on their knees at gunpoint? Who was the President when that happened? How long did it take after the deal was signed before Iran took new United States hostages?
1
@GregP That incident had nothing to do with why Trump broke the deal, so the timing is irrelevant.
Trump's stated reason is that he claimed that he could negotiate a better deal, despite the fact that Iran was honoring the agreement. He couldn't. Trump's unstated reason was that he wanted to erase Obama's legacy. That's the only thing that he accomplished, and the world is a more dangerous place because of it.
4
If Europe tries to negotiate about Iran with Trump, EVERYONE will lose. Europe should rebuff any request to help America militarily.
19
Why would anyone side with Trump? He's unreasonable and untrustworthy to begin with, and his track record is to tear up any agreement that gets signed anyway.
19
Europe isn't in the middle. They were against Trump breaking the treaty and are actively working to keep Iran's economy afloat.
Saying they're stuck in the middle suggests they're neutral or regard Trump's unilateral breaking of the multi-signatory treaty as another day at the office.
Europe was rightfully outraged and now exasperated with Trump's bull in the china shop approach to conflict, which isn't resolution but escalation.
Trump has single-handedly justified the Ayatollah's depiction of the US as "the Great Satan".
It's obvious that Trump, reeling from his own polls that show how powerful the momentum is against him, is moving into desperation mode which is chaos piled upon chaos until the fog of outrage and dismay obscures Trump's transgressions and he again controls the narrative.
It's become a bad acid trip except we're not hallucinating.
120
@Yuri Asian They are most definitely in the middle. They aren't going to form a military alliance with Iran.
They may well be outraged and exasperated but unless they're willing to cut ties with us they are, indeed, "in the middle."
3
@Jack Toner
Cut ties with us? We're the ones wobbling over Europe and NATO threatening to cut ties with the EU (to Putin's glee) if Trump isn't appeased.
The EU stayed in the treaty with Iran after Trump pulled out. The Europeans brokered a trade for food deal with Iran that circumvented the US sanctions.
Much of the world views Trump as deranged and dangerous, particularly Europe, so no one wants to provoke him because it won't end well.
The America that was once closely allied with Europe doesn't live here anymore.
Thanks for reading my post and responding.
6
@Yuri Asian
Europe is not stuck in the middle. It continues to stay in the treaty with Iran and views the USA as dangerous because of its appalling threats to world peace.
2
Leaders of our allies need to ban together, gather their strength and tell DJT to clean up the mess he made. There is great strength and wisdom among them. They seen behind the curtain and discovered there is no one behind the curtain.
DJT and his minions created this disaster by pulling out the a solid agreement, They own it now.
16
Europe should have learned a lesson when Bush pulled it into Iraq and Afghanistan. If it were stronger and more courageous, it would not be in the middle. It would take a stand against Trump and say his war-mongering - and that is what it is - is not worth the risk of dissolving completely the one and only hold the global community has to check Iran...the Iran Nuclear Deal. I do not feel sorry for our European allies at all. In fact, I am beyond disappointed with them. Do they not realize that Trump has already thrown them under the bus in favor of Putin, Kim, and even Netanyahu? I say to them to sit down and negotiate with Iran now. Trump and the other two members of this triumvirate, Bolton and Pompeo, have ominous plans, make no mistake.
15
I taught American History to high school seniors and college freshmen for 30 years. “We learn about the past in order to avoid, etc...My approach was an attempt to recreate a situation where a group of young people are sitting around a fire listening and questioning the elder passing on the history and traditions of the tribe. If you’re old enough to remember the Turner Joy, The Maddox, and a place called the Tonkin Gulf, then that would be my lesson today...
12
If European powers can play spoilers, cozy up to China, get into bed with the Ayatollah, produce an alternative currency and banking system, who knows, they could get back their colonies and enjoy another 300 years of predatory power.
They see a clear opportunity for sure given Trump's attempt to use tariffs as an economic weapon.
If we are giving nuclear tech to Saudis, and Europeans give the same to Iran (or at least enable its acquisition), I suspect the Germans and French are smug in their belief that it will hurt us more than it hurts them. I do wonder whether Europeans are intentionally doing this to trigger US into military action against Iran, and have us further erode our economic and political advantage.
1
@Kalidan. The Europeans don't need their colonies back. They've got a pretty good life right now. Why would they want to risk what they've got by risking setting the whole middle east ablaze in war?
1
@Kalidan You really have no idea of Europe culture and politics.
2
The JCPOA was a bad deal to begin with. The EU and US (under Obama) caved to Iranian demands. This deal ensured that Iran would have nukes in 10 years. The IAEA had to give Iran advanced notice before inspecting nuke sites and is barred from inspecting military sites. Iran went ahead to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles for the inevitability of possessing nuke warheads. Trump is correct in getting out of this deal. Now the weak EU is being held hostage by Iran because of their pusillanimous policies that will further weaken them.
2
World, if you are listening, be assured that in January, 2021, America will rejoin the Paris Accords and the Iran Nuclear Deal, demonstrate how to reduce inequality while increasing prosperity and maintaining our market driven economy, treat asylum seekers with respect, even if denying admission to some, reinstate faith in NATO, and, by example, prove the value of democracy over one party dictatorship.
7
@TheLeftIsRight-TheRightIsWrong
All of that has already happened but in another version of the multi-verse. In this one, Trump is re-elected in 2020. World is listening and none of what you predict will happen, in this Universe at least.
Iran’s enemy has hundreds of nuclear weapons of mass destruction aimed at Iran, and that would be Israel.
Iran didn’t Introduce those weapons into the Middle East but needs power stations, things that the US has had for years, for its citizens.
If the UN were a place of fairness, it would intervene on Iran’s side.
The fact that it doesn’t shows the ultimate uselessness of that organization.
Hugh
15
Iran must not be suffering all that much. They do have money to support and supply their proxies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, don't they?
4
@GWB It's the old guns v butter. They do seem to be suffering at home and apparently they're cutting back a bit on their foreign activities.
Describing the ship attacks as a cry for help is spot on. They don't want a war with us (they're not insane) but they're not willing to submit to us (they are proud) so they're pointing out to the world that there would be collateral damage to the global economy.
Of course that gives Bolton justification for the war he's lusting after. Trump seems to think a war would not be good for him politically. Doesn't mean he won't stumble into one.
3
On the one hand, how much can Iran be trusted?
On the other hand, no one in their right mind would buy a used car from Trump.
Let's independently investigate.
11
The Europeans have privately accepted that Iran is responsible for the Gulf of Oman attacks? That is a dubious statement. The Europeans would probably not Iran do anything if the US attacked Iran. But they have been cowed into accepting the USs economic warfare against Iran. Saudi Arabia is more likely to have a nuclear weapon before Iran. The Saudis are far more reckless and Trump's gov't doesn't want to reign them in. Netanyahu has for years been lying about the Iranian nuclear threat.
10
@c harris No it's not dubious at all. This was a very calibrated attack: no ships sunk., no lives lost, even the cargo is undamaged. Of course Iran did it and no fair-minded person would condemn them.
Europe's leaders aren't stupid bloviators.
1
The US is not "facing off" with Iran. The US is taunting Iran like a schoolyard bully (wonder where that came from?), hoping the smaller kid will throw a punch in desperation. Then the big kid is justified in raining blows down and thumping a defenseless kid into the ground.
This is all about distraction and money. Trump needs the distraction, and as far as the MIC is concerned, it's been way too long since we had a hot war.
11
European countries: owned by America like most countries around the world. Only a few, like Iran, who stand on principle.
6
Europe is the victim of extortion. Trump, of course, is the initiator, acting by choice, with Iran following course, but hardly by choice.
Europe has a bevy of clever minds to determine the best course of action. The greatest difficulty lies in how to oppose Trump whilst supporting the US.
Trump knows this. Iran knows this. And so do China and Russia. Whatever the outcome, the winner will not be Trump.
5
Pent up hyperbole, that's what it is. The U.S. and Iran face off, gee just what does that mean. Iran is thousands of miles away, has no major economic effect on the U.S. yet our administration is facing off with this country. Lies. The U.S. is sending 1,000 troops to the area as a show of strength (like that wouldn't even be considered a scouting party if they landed on Iranian soil). Oh, forgot we have some warships in the Persian Gulf too. What are we trying to do. It is simple. Trump wants to tell other nations how to live, if they can or can not have nuclear power. And of course should they be a part of the 21s century and provide efficient electricity to their people by having nuclear power, then of course Trump/GOP sees this as a weapon that would result in offensive nuclear weapons. Pitiful. Wonder what he thinks about China, Russia, India, Pakistan, N.Korea, all those nations that stand up to what has become the "Autocratic Nation called America." Trump can rationalize anything he wants, but the American people know better, and guess what.....we aren't having bomb shelters made in our back yards like we felt was necessary because at one time during the "cold war" Russia had nuclear weapons pointed at the U.S. They have nuclear weapons today but do we read about Trump/GOP telling them to dismantle them. Politicians, like Trump/GOP are our worst enemies these day.
3
The power the US has in the banking world is the reason no banks will dare defy the US and face massive fines against their US operations.
Actions filmed against the tanker were an act of piracy.
''On the high seas, or in any place outside the jurisdiction of any State, every State may seize a pirate ship or aircraft, or a ship or aircraft taken by piracy and under the control of pirates, and arrest the persons and seize the property on board. The courts of the State which carried out the seizure may decide upon the penalties to be imposed, and may also determine the action to be taken with regard to the ships, aircraft or property, subject to the rights of third parties acting in good faith.''
''As regards the definition, its essential aspect is that piracy consists of ‘any illegal acts of violence or detention, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or aircraft and directed … on the high seas against another ship or aircraft, or against persons or property on board such ship or aircraft’.7''Art. 105 UNCLOS
Take Iran at it's word and believe that the boat was a false flag. The Mullahs wouldn't lie.
The Sea King copter filming it has Hellfire missiles, so blow the false flag pirates out of the water.
1
@Lawrence Sure, that'll fix everything. No chance that Iran would escalate, is there?
US sanctions on Iran are very effectively reducing Iran's ability to support its proxies in Syria, Yemen and Lebanon. On that count alone the stricter sanctions are doing an excellent job.
7
@Shane, noticeably excluded from the coverage of the past couple days of Iran as simply nothing more than the poor innocent victim of a impetuous tyrant with an Obama inferiority complex, is the fact about them that you just point out.
3
@Shane Are there other proxies in those countries? Saudi Arabia? Israel? Russia? USA?
Oh but those countries are "allowed" to use proxies. Iran isn't, apparently.
If Iran tells its proxies to go for broke what will that look like?
Well it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for?
A Trump Tower in Teheran!
2
@Jack Toner Iran is an enemy of the United States so it makes sense the US is doing everything it can to box in its enemy and the proxies of its enemies.
The Europeans apparently fear the reprisals of this
country's government directed at their companies who
would want to exchange goods and services with the Iranian
government and businesses. So, the question is how such
transactions are detected by this country. Presumably there is some international exchange monitoring of such purchase of goods and services through investigations of the banks that route the payments.
So the perfectly reasonable question to ask is how such information can be hidden from this country's monitors,
and/or how such investigations can be stymied by European courts.
Given that this country's dear leader has acted without hesitation to hide his own companies' exchanges with foreign entities from his own citizens and appropriate congressional committees, it is only fair and proper that others should feel it is perfectly within their rights to behave similarly.
So, why shouldn't European banks make it very very difficult for trump's treasury minions to follow the payment exchanges between Iran and European companies?
13
@bl
All global financial transactions are denominated in dollars and get cleared through the Federal Reserve, which de facto gives the US control of foreign financial transactions and an easy way to enforce sanctions.
3
@Yuri Asian
Not an expert in this by any means...but what
you say implies that even euro denominated transactions get converted to dollar transactions post the euro transaction?
That is,
the Iranians and Europeans can't actually confine the commercial exchange to euros
and then make it arduous to monitor it?
@bl
All global trade is conducted through the US Federal Reserve in dollars. That includes China, Russia and even Iran. It's the main reason European companies are leery about crossing the US by violating US sanctions -- technically what Huawei is accused of -- as it would hamper their ability to do any trade at all. Link below to relevant article.
Remember, I'm not a real expert (nor pretend to be), but I play one when I comment.
Thanks for a very congenial reply.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-03/the-tyranny-of-the-u-s-dollar
2
The US would be far better off if we modeled our foreign policy on that followed by Switzerland and Sweden.
19
@Penseur The US is a multiethnic nation of 327 million people located in North America. Sweden and Switzerland have populations of 9.9 million and 8.7 million respectively, are heavily caucasian and are located in Europe. The idea the US could model its foreign policy on states with 2% of its population is absurd.
5
@Penseur
In which case we would either be speaking German or Russian right now and would certainly not be able to comment on the news.
2
@Shane
Exactly, things would be so much easier if the US were small and had a homogeneous population.
We're all stuck in the middle or worse.
Is there anyone else out there who thinks that the United States should split into 2 countries? I'd like to move forward at a faster pace towards an empathetic human race where everything isn't determined by the value of a company and their stocks. Where all men and woman are created equal and remain equal throughout their lives. Where antiquated religious values don't dictate where they think we need to be.
29
@Peice Man Two countries? I'm moving to California, even if it's going to slide off into the sea.
2
I wish the NYT would stop playing the false equivalents game that supposedly is the mark of good journalism. This latest ME inflamation is pretty much fabricated by the US. Netanyahu naming a West Bank settlement after Trump wraps up the story pretty well.
87
It was NOT in the West Bank.
It was in the Golan Heights, captured by Israel...when Syria’s dictator attacked it.
1
@SNY
https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/11/world/general-s-words-shed-a-new-light-on-the-golan.html
NYT "But like many another of Israel's founding legends, this one has come under question lately, and from a most surprising quarter: Moshe Dayan, the celebrated commander who, as Defense Minister in 1967, gave the order to conquer the Golan.
General Dayan died in 1981. But in conversations with a young reporter five years earlier, he said he regretted not having stuck to his initial opposition to storming the Golan Heights. There really was no pressing reason to do so, he said, because many of the firefights with the Syrians were deliberately provoked by Israel, and the kibbutz residents who pressed the Government to take the Golan Heights did so less for security than for the farmland."
Liberals should just pick a side and announce it publicly.
America?
Or Iran?
Your choice.
7
@Dr. John
President of the United State should pick a side and announce it publicly:
America and her venerable institutions and CONSTITUTION? Fought for by REAL patriots without bone spurs). Farming soybeans does NOT make you a patriot, nor do any of the other things Trump used that worn out label for.
or
Russia? N. Korea?
THere. I fixed it for you.
5
@Dr. John
How about Iran or Saudis Arabia. ?
5
It’s not a zero sum game.
No one wins if there is a war.
What is your preferred end game? Iran, the 51st state? Conversion to Christianity? Turn the country into a parking lot?
4
If the European nations want to stay in an accord while Iran enriching uranium progresses, they show they want to trade with Iran no matter what the state does and want that business more than with the US. The deal was a farce at the onset just 10 years to slow nuclear proliferation of which several have already passed. If you lived in Israel and had more than 10 years life expectancy this really wasn’t the greatest deal in their opinion. Iran tested rockets within weeks of singing this farce. The only roadblock to building a bomb is enough highly enriched material. In the US we’ve had college students draw plans for a workable model.
1
@James It’s simply not true that all Iran needs to build a nuclear arsenal is more enriched uranium. It needs the technical ability to build and miniaturize a weapon that could be deployed regionally on rockets. They are nowhere near this.
1
@James And Israel's nukes?
2
Mmmmmmm. I can't wait until another brilliant foreign policy masterpiece from Bolton, Pompeo, and Abrams explodes in our faces at the cost of hundreds of billions of dollars and thousand of lives.
40
Sure the Europeans will not get what they want, while the Americans will likely get what they want. But since the Americans want war, and another Mideast war will cost them more trillions, I guess I would prefer not getting what you want to getting what you want.
9
The US President is being wagged by his neocon tail.
22
Iran's ultimate goal remains the acquisition of a bomb. With or without Trump's tomfoolery, any decent and rational person who continues to believe otherwise, and even with the best intentions, is making a severe mistake. The ayotollas also know how to play
the Europeans, who are caught in a bind, and when their calculus
is put to the test will not hesitate to give Teheran everything it
wants. Yet Trump has abetted this, and while he's responded
correctly to the latest Iranian provocation, remains largely
responsible, much as I hate to say so, for destroying a deal that,
much as I too opposed it, was in place without providing any side
with a workable alternative.
5
@Jack Eisenberg Just like Saddam!
Are you capable of learning from experience? Doesn't look like it.
@Jack Eisenberg
If Iran has wanted a nuclear weapon they would have had it already. Certainly they have been accused of building a bomb for almost 20 years by Israel Iran was a signer of the Nuclear Non Proliferate Agreement whereas a couple of our allies were not signers.
1
What Trump doesn't get is that he has the power of economic sanctions because of the fragile reliance of the world on US dollar, our banking system and our resources. By abusing this power he is forcing other countries to future-proof their sovereignty by seeking alternative avenues to do business -- and China will be happy (and has the ability) to replace us.
EU is spineless today. They have no power. They have to follow through with whatever US government decides. But every time we invoke our power unmeasured, we lose some of it. EU will put in place laws to limit the effects of US regulations on its economy -- as will do Canada, Mexico, China, India, etc.
23
I can only assume trump is desperately trying to engage Iran in a war of his own (trump) making in order to be re elected.
27
@Gianni - That or declare martial law and suspend elections and democracy all at the one blow. Next is invading Mexico and Canada for access to natural resources. It's like a particular scene in The Princess Bride... or maybe Monty Python. Nobody should be surprised.
2
@MJM
Agreed! Canada's water looks especially yummy to the US, as US aquifers are drying up. US' "patriot farmers", in particular, will need water.
Invasion, by stealthy politics or overt action, would not be surprising, on the part of the Trump administration.
1
On this one, the Europeans should stand up to Trump and tell him where he can stuff his pullout on the Iran Deal. This is not fun and games. This is European survival in world with no further proliferation of nuclear weapons. [And not to worry: soon enough the U.S. will recoup its senses, i.e., once we're rid of Trump.]
20
@C.L.S.
The Europeans are not going to stand up to anyone. They'll just talk and talk and eventually fall in line with America.
2
Since when did the American Secretary of State and the National Security Adviser get in the business of making military threats without any Congressional authorization or declaration?
What do James Mattis, H.R. McMaster and John Kelly think about this approach?
39
Yes, I too wonder why other countries have not put sanctions on the US for breaking the Iran agreement and for other crimes like imprisoning immigrant children and allowing some die. Under Trump the above sins are only several reasons why America could be sanctioned: tariffs, wrongful attacks on Iran etc.are others. Let’s face it this present US administration is culpable and crime ridden.
37
Of course, none of this had to happen. Trump is such a great dealmaker but he never makes deals, instead he destroys deals his predecessor made. Iran was not going to enrich uranium until at least 2025 according to the agreement with Obama. Now they are going to enrich in 2019. Thanks, Trump. North Korea is still beloved by Trump although they have not agreed to eliminate their nuclear weapons (which would be like committing suicide). The lesson to Iran is to obtain nuclear weapons and not be treated this way. Or hope Trump loses and someone sanity returns to the U.S. Presidency.
17
@Jim, thanks for reminding me that Trump said that Andrew Jackson could have negotiated the US out of doing the Civil War. Trump is a great deal maker and an American history scholar.
1
The weak liberal milquetoasts in the failing European Union are scared silly of the monster at their door that they have allowed in, in the form of Middle Eastern refugees, with a foreign ideological agenda which includes AK-47’s that they are willing to use! They have washed their hands of Israel already, so why would they support the one ally who has carried their sorry derrières since 1945 when the chips are down today? The E.U. cannot be trusted...
5
@Moe
The usual, shop-worn shrieks of those who don’t know the first thing about history. Every time the war drums are beaten based on false evidence for the sake of the profits of the few these same baseless bricks are thrown about.
6
However, the US under Bush dragged European nations into a war based on fabricated evidence and lies. Why should they trust Trump, a notorious and prolific liar?
9
@Moe - Neither can Trump's America.
8
Trump is going to milk this for all it's worth (nothing).
His idea is to keep America on the edge of their seats until October of 2020, then (if he's still losing the general election) attack. If someone tells him it's better for him politically to attack earlier, he'll attack.
This has nothing to do with ANY issue for Trump, except getting reelected.
Too bad for America if any of her sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, husbands, or wives get killed, maimed, or captured (for who knows how long).
Meanwhile, Trump and family will keep on living their billionaire lifestyle.
One final thought. He will lose the election, anyway.
14
Since the Suez Crisis of 1956, the Europeans have ceded any real control over Mideast policy to America. It has been very convenient for them--America secures Europe's supply of oil, at little or no cost in European lives or money.
Now the chickens of that policy have come home to roost. Either they shut up now and step in line with Trump, Pompeo, and Bolton or raise the money to defend their own interests. And of course, since the US has recently achieved energy independence and needs no Mideast oil, European leadership suspects if they open their mouths too much, we may invite them to do exactly that. Of course, actually raising the money or the will to defend themselves is politically impossible in the EU, and that is why they have responded so tentatively, as described, to a policy with which they so vehemently disagree.
And so there is little doubt that Europe will be stepping in line, once again.
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This image show a boat totally clean of any burn surface while all others have shown burned black decks. Something is fishy here, isn't it ?
The so called second mine which was retrieved by Iranians could not have exploded while the first one, a few feet apart did, it is nonsense.
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The Trump administration has no end game for removing its economic blocade. The Trump team claims that they don't seek the destruction of the Iranian government, but that is exactly their naive aim. Lets examine why this is an incredibly stupid goal.
First, Iran is governed by a stable constitution that has been scrupulously observed for forty years since its inception. Regime change would mean trashing the Constitution. Not likely!
The nation is not a dictatorship, although Ayatollah Khamene'i does have the last word on many issues. Its presidents have served their terms and left office, replaced through elections that for the most part free and fair (the 2009 election being the possible exception). It has an active parliament with clear political factions and lively debate. Laws are not rubber stamped.
Second, there is no viable replacement for the current government. Bolton seems to entertain the fantasy that the Mujaheddin-e Khalq (MEK) could take over. This terrorist group is despised in Iran. They could never rule.
Third, Iran has a robust internal economy. it is capable of producing everything it needs to be viable including food. building material and technical equipment. Unlike Iraq, Iran would easily survive a siege.
Finally, Iran is huge, with a population of 80 million and a potential fighting force of 20 million. Iran survived a debilitating 8 year war with Iraq with immense patriotic fervor. A US war for regime change would be an unmitigated disaster.
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@William O. Beeman I add one more. Iranians are very proud people. They don't yield to bullying, even if they hate the current regime. By pressuring them, USA is impeding their path to democracy. In reality, the Trump administration has targeted them, not the regime.
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The world was a lot safer when 400 pounders, sitting on their beds, hacked into the DNC rather than getting in boats and affixing mines to oil tankers.
3
Please stop mis-reporting. You blame each the US and Iran equally for the rising tensions but it is the US that is causing the tension. Iran is simply reacting to our outrageous actions.
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We would not be sending troops to the Persian Gulf at taxpayers' expense and turning up the heat in that part of the world if Donald J. Trump, at the instigation of his now Secretary of State and National Security advisor, didn't start goading Iran into this stand-off. Yes the Islamic regime in Iran is a miserable government for the Iranian people. But that is the government chosen by the Iranian people. Once again we have taunted an unpopular regime to act and they are reacting. There would be no conflict with Iran if the U.S. had stayed out of Iranian politics and not installed the Shah in the mid 20th Century. Do we really want another mid-east war?
Americans wake up. This Trump regime is going to goad the Iranians into a real war so that Donald Trump can play Commander-in-Chief, just as George W. Bush did in Iraq. The Iraq war got Bush a second term. It also destabilized the entire region, gave rise to ISIS and was the cause of millions of deaths and mutilations of Americans as well as people living in the region. Will a Persian Gulf war get Trump a second term? Let us hope that Americans have seen what happened in Iraq, but Hope Springs Eternal.
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The problem here is loss of trust, between all parties.
One of these issues being: Can we trust the Trump administration to provide us all with valid, fact-based intelligence? What actually was the chain of events here with the oil tankers attack? Can we all get validated information from multiple sources, that supports a picture, which is logical and sufficient to base any actions on?
Sorry, US, but the provision of the current president and his “fake fact”- administration leaves everybody wondering: What is fact, what is fake?
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The world needs to unite for America and against Trump. We are all enabling this grotesque con man and we must all unite against his “genius”.
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The US is acting in bad faith with possible catastrophic consequences for the whole region, and the world economy.
Mr Trump walked away from a deal that the US signed only once it satisfied all the key US demands, including some that were extremely unfair. There was no valid, read truthful, reason given and America lost more of what’s left of its credibility in doing so.
As if that was not enough, the Trump regime slapped the most aggressive sanctions yet on the whole country. Starving the economy and affecting everything from international trade to local healthcare.
The objective is obvious: weaken Iran and initiate a war.
It seems to be working. A shame.
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It just doesn’t make sense that Iran or its proxies would be behind this when they know there are itchy trigger fingers on the other side.
What makes more sense is for the Saudis or UAE to arrange it to try to instigate an attacking on their arch enemy.
How about looking into this NYT?
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The problem is (for all the screaming) and it was stated flat out and openly at the time the agreement was signed. It was never binding on anyone but Obama. It wasn't binding on the US as a nation, It wasn't binding on Obama's successors. In order to binding on the US has a nation it had to be passed by the SENATE PERIOD. That is the law no exceptions no buts and no ifs. And the Europeans and the Iranians KNEW it. It wasn't a secret it was headline news. The Republicans swore up and down has soon Obama was out of office they would pull out. It was front page news in the US and Europe so why exactly are they surprised? They were warned and they knew IT WASN'T BINDING. Obama or any president DOES NOT have the right to bind the US to any International agreement on his signature alone. Whether it is Iran, The Paris climate accord or any other agreement it only binds the president at the time not the Nation has a whole. Not now not ever. That has been the procedure for 2 centuries and I haven't heard of a constitutional amendment changing it. You may think it was a good deal, I may think it was a good deal but that doesn't matter it was a presidential POLICY not a law not a treaty. And by definition any POLICY by one president can be changed by another. NO President has or should have the right to sign the nation into a binding Treaty or agreement just because he wants to. We are a nation of laws not whims. Get it passed by the Senate that is the law, Not Obama's whims.
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@Stephan
As a nation, Iran complied with the terms of the agreement. Although not passed by Congress, there was no driving reason for the current administration to leave the agreement other than because it was a campaign promise to appease a certain segment. Joining a multi lateral agreement was a diplomatic solution. As the only nation voiding the multi lateral agreement, what does that say about America's diplomacy? This is just bad business, not to mention dangerous.
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@Jodi
Has I said you may think it was a good deal, I may think it was a good deal. But that is utterly irrelevant to whether or not Trump had the right to pull out of the agreement. My point wasn't whether or not the agreement was good, bad or indifferent. It was that NO President can bind the nation on his word alone nor should he be able to. My point was and is the law is clear in order for this or any other agreement to bind anyone but the signer it MUST not should, not could, not maybe, but must pass the senate or it is irrelevant once the next President is in office and everybody who signed knew it. Europeans and Iranians and Obama alike. If Obama wanted it to bind his successors ? Well then he should have got it through the Senate shouldn't he? Otherwise he was speaking only for HIMSELF not the nation. That is the law like it or not.
4
@Stephan Okay, so the Republicans did what they said they were going to do. Bully for them. The question is, where does that leave us? We had a deal that did SOMETHING. Now we have no deal that does NOTHING. So, you're proud of Republicans for not being bound by a non-binding treaty -- but so what? Do you work for a defense contractor? Do you really want the clumsiest, most ignorant and incompetent president ever to be led into war by the likes of Bolton? The world hasn't finished paying for the last war he helped start and perhaps never will.
22
Why are there no sanctions on the USA for violating an agreement? The Europeans, and the rest of the world should stop doing business with the USA for everything because it is the USA that has violated the deal. Why the sanctions on Iran? Iranians kept up with their end of the deal, and are still keeping it up.
If the Iranians do indeed enrich their Uranium beyond the limits to which they had agreed, then it is the US that is at fault, and vicariously the Europeans and other "world powers" per se: because when the deal was negotiated it was negotiated as Iran on one side with everyone else on the other side. Consequently, everyone on the other side should abide by the deal else there is no deal: if one member of the other side violates then all members have done so. It is in the interest of all of Europe, Russia, China, etc. to bring USA into compliance and the sanctions lifted immediately. Plus, reparations and penalties be paid to Iran for its economic loss and punitive damages for causing harm to Iran.
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@ANM Yes, why not sanctions against specific individuals -- say, John Bolton, Eliot Abrams, or any of the other numerous US war criminals? Europe needs to see that Trump's attacks on Iran are ultimately aimed at China, and that any shooting war with Iran is a skirmish on the way to World War III. Germany and France need to grow spines and say no to the Trump regime's violations of international law. Send US ambassadors packing, shut down US embassies -- full scale boycott of US corporations.
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@ANM I hope that you're reading the comments that people from the US are writing about this article.
Clearly the majority of people here are dismayed by our nation's breaking of this treaty.
We assume that the world is aware that our government has fallen into the hands of a radically right wing minority. Our election process has been tampered with, not only from abroad, but even worse from within: money, as is most blatantly demonstrated by Citizens United, has corrupted and broken our system.
We are trying to recover.
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@ANM Obama was Iran's best negotiator. He gave them an agreement that allowed them to continue nuclear weapons while freeing up billions for them to use doing it. It was all for show. Now Trump has to clean up the mess.
Their refusal to actually do anything of substance to counter Rump's Iranian policies has demonstrated that the EU is nothing more than a collection of American Vassel states. While Iran is not the good guy in this struggle, in the case of this deal it is on the right side while we are being led by the warmongering duo of Bolton/Pompeo. Rump for all his bluster really doesn't want to get into a war. He seems to have cornered himself with his own nonsense and now in that corner is left with the two people who are least able to get him out of it.
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@johnnymorales
Well America needs wars to sustain their war industries. While it provides jobs in USA, it has killed millions of people since WWII, whatever directly or indirectly through third parties.
10
@Now 1,000 more military will go to the Middle East and we can just hope no accidental mistakes happen and we are in the middle of a war no one wants. But have no fear Don Jr. and Eric will enlist and just like their father will have no problem fighting for this country. So Bolton and Pompeo are our hope for future peace. Is anyone driving the car or making decisions based on diplomatic considerations with our Allies, I guess not.
3
Europe needs to support morals over calculus, just like Madam Pelosi. The course of ethics and justice would be to support the deal and reject Trump’s bull-in-a-china-shop “foreign policy.”
Nuclear deals are a step towards international peace. Refusing to coalesce with a delerious, impetuous, undoubtedly compromised Trump is an act of integrity.
So, by the way, are impeachment proceedings.
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You got this, Europe. Just keep saying no, kind of like our Congress should be doing right now. Shame on you, Adam Schiff!
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When a nation who has the most powerful military in the world also controls the world banking, trading and legal infrastructure it is a very dangerous situation. The abuse of such power can literally destroy small nations that have the temerity to pursue an independent foreign policy or who might challenge this behemoth.
The Establishment, never known for taking the moral high ground, has chosen to go down the path of Big Bully and since the 300 million plus apathetic sheep they rule over cannot be bothered to stop this nonsense it appears they will have their slam dunk.
The consequences of such wanton and irresponsible behavior will only come back to haunt generations to come. In Iraq it has already cost the lives of more than a million people.......
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@DCC
The actual Trump protectionism policies is nothing else than isolation of the USA. you may think that generations to come will be the ones that will pay, I believe we will not have to wait for the next generation to endure the consequences as all other countries enters into large economic alliances for which Trump believe USA does not need.
20
@DCC, History has always shown us that might is right. However, it's also true that many small countries have been getting a free ride on the backs of their alliance with the US. Canada and many small countries of Europe are classic examples. Even now, these countries are trying to take advantage of the trade war between the US and China to get a better deal with the Chinese, without any success though. All the complaints from these countries about protectionism is essentially because their free ride is coming to an end under Trump. So, while Trump may be guilty of a lot of war barking (no action as of yet), he is correct that the countries sucking on the US teat for many decades must start standing on their own two feet.
1
@DCC
Thank you. You've hit the nail on the head.
Europe stuck in the middle: it is not an unfamiliar place for Europe to be since 1945.
First there was the Cold War, with Dulles adding his own brand of politico-theology to the mix. Europe was forced time and again to ratchet down the rhetoric even if it had no desire to be a Soviet puppet.
Then there was the War on Terror, with Europe demanding proof of WMD that the US could not give but gave anyway, with predictable and catastrophic results.
Now there is the trade war with China, with Europe aware of the problem but not convinced that tariffs are the answer.
And finally there is Iran, until now in compliance with treaty, but with the US unilaterally pulling out of that treaty and now blaming Iran for breaking the treaty,
Europe has been an honest broker. When the US turns it's back on our European allies, we suffer the consequences. When we listen--even if we at times disagree--we stand on secure footing.
Right now, under Donald Trump, we are under the most INSECURE footing since 1945.
And Europe, bless her, is still there trying to help. We are lucky to have such friends.
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@Paul McGlasson
True words! Trump wants a war....a wartime president....yes!....they are always re-elected so he thinks. This despicable man has no thoughts of governance...just fame.
17
@Paul McGlasson Europeans should not have to pay for the stupidity of American politicians. Americans voted for these politicians and should have to bear the price in dollars and blood. My heart goes out to the soldiers who must call draft dodger trump Commander in Chief.
9
@Paul McGlasson
If Europe was an honest broker, they would have told W what to do with his imaginary WMDs.
If they were an honest broker now, they would tell Trump to pound sand in the Middle East by himself.
7
Iran has every right to own and develop nuclear weapons. If Israel has them any country in the middle east should be entitled to have them
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@There
So funny, it demonstrates once again that a large portion on US citizens does not know what Canada is all about. As air Canada is replacing its Boeing fleet with Airbus airplanes, the Canadian Government lean towards other solution from Europe.
{Reports have claimed that no company will be excluded from the competition process, but they will be assessed on their "overall impact on Canada's economic interests", a move that is believed to penalize companies like Boeing for engaging in legal action against the country.} Brewster Murray, December 12, 2018.
The bullying does not work with Canada as in most countries nowadays.
28
@There
Canadian troops have been fighting alongside ours in Afghanistan since 2001. 158 dead and 2000 injured so far. What exactly are they "cutting and running" from, other than wisely not deliberately instigating pointless and costly wars with every country with lots of oil?
16
@There
Israel is a vassal state that would not be able to build up there military without $3B a year from US tax payers.
Why should they have ANY opinion whatsoever on our foreign policy? The tail wagging the dog.
1
This is what happens when we breach deals that we had previously agreed upon. Even if we are able to broker a better deal, would the Iranians trust us? If the Iranians sign, how can we be sure they would abide by the agreement? We have lost all credibility to demand people abide by contracts because we have no problem breaking them ourselves. I can't believe we allow Trump to run this country like his own private business.
Can't wait for 2021 when Trump is out of office and we have sane, thoughtful adults who actually read intelligence briefings and consult with experts before making informed decisions are back in power.
This is no longer about low taxes for the super rich or being as openly racist as possible. This is about starting another disastrous war in the Middle East and our standing and credibility in the world.
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@Y
At the rate the House is going, it may well be 2021 before we see "regime change" in the White House.
I hope that the Iranians can hold their tempers for another year and a half.
But it's high time for Nancy and the gang to start impeachment hearings.
We must put a damper on this administration before they blunder into a war and force us all into the streets.
11
@Steve W
I would rather that Nancy would sound the alarm across every hill and dale of these United States to organize at the grass roots level in order to cast our votes locally, county and state-wide, and federally so we can take back our government from the alt-right supremacists, the evangelical nationalists, the hegemony of Wall Street, banks, and corporations, and their GOP and Democrat enablers. If not now, when?
7
As was inevitable, ‘America First’ means America, isolated.
Should the US survive Trump, we will have a long way to go to get our old friends back, to say nothing of the respect of our opponents, who perceive that they can seize advantage of the schism that Trump has created.
73
@T
You are right, good luck ! Economics is one thing, trust is totally different and this is where USA has unfortunately lost a lot of !
13
The USA walked away from the agreement muttering about a bad deal (Obama's) and regime change (which would be the second US sponsored regime change in Iran - the first was Eisenhower's in the 1950s). These are very provocative acts and guess what? They have provoked a reaction. Most of the current problem originates in the US. The President, Pompeo and Bolton et al are not being truthful with the American people in this rush to war.
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