Iran was on its last legs and ready to collapse until the U.S. came along and gave it a life-line in the form of the Iran Deal: $150 billion— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2017
Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missile.Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the U.S. made with them!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2017
Ilan Goldenberg and Elizabeth Rosenberg, Foreign Policy Magazine: Is Trump Trying to Tweet Us Into a War with Iran?
On Wednesday, the White House put out a statement from National Security Advisor Michael Flynn criticizing Iran’s recent ballistic missile test as well as a number of attacks in recent months by Iranian-supported Houthi militias against American, Saudi, and Emirati ships off the coast of Yemen. The statement then criticizes the Iran nuclear deal and the Obama administration, before concluding that “we are officially putting Iran on notice.”
This is the Trump administration’s first meaningful foray into Iran policy since taking office. In some ways, it is reassuring, as parts of the statement are reasonable. And it does not appear that the administration is at least at this point determined to walk away from the nuclear agreement. But then President Donald Trump started tweeting. And now, there are some reasons for concern.
Read more ....
Update: Analysis: US Setting Up a Confrontational Approach With Iran (AP)
WNU Editor: Relations between the U.S. and Iran have been tense and hostile long before President Trump showed up on the scene. President Trump's tweets are not going to result in a war against Iran.
