gofigure wrote:
News update:
Pompeo notified congress that the president was invoking national emergency authority to bypass the congress and deal with the Saudis and the UAE to the tune of $8B in arms sales.
Numbers of US military forces in theater to be increased with justification to enhance self defense capability.
The fog has lifted. Maximum pressure strategy on Iran is clear with both sides declaring defensive responsive intent only. All is quiet in the Persian Gulf now while a disquieting unease of what lies ahead continues.
News update:
The number 1,500 was given to our enhanced defensive posture in the gulf.
During the president's trip to Japan, Iran came up, News is significant and straight out of the presidents mouth, As to whether he is to be believed, that is another another story. Maybe he will amend his comments.
* "Nobody wants to see terrible things happen, especially me." Context is that Abe is to visit and talk with Iran soon and maybe will act as a mediator since Abe has a "very good relationship with Iran". Japan is still heavily dependent on gulf oil.
* "looking for no nuclear weapons"
* " Were not looking for regime change" " I just want to make that clear"
So analysis brought current by Karim Sadjadpour, senior fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (I have no idea as to this man's standing on the left right bias meter). " What trump articulated in Japan was another reminder that his main problem with the nuclear deal was that it was signed by Obama. Given Trump's eagerness for a public summit and deal with Tehran, it's conceivable Iran's leaders could sign a more favorable deal with Trump than they did with Obama. But the pride and mistrust of Iran's Supreme Leader makes him more inclined to subject his population to another year of sanctions and economic malaise rather than deal with Trump."
So conflicting messages are now the news of the day. Hezbollah, ballistic missile development, terrorism sponsorship are no longer in play?? Just the nukes? Abe and Japan are now our conduit to the ear of the Supreme Leader?
We are back into the fog bank and it sure is comforting that the May 19 tweeting from Trump and the May21 response to the UN by Iranian foreign minister beating the war drums were just taunts.