Sanctions against Iran haven't been signed into law yet but have already been announced. Washington doesn't want war, but disobedience to its political will threatens Tehran with "unprecedented destruction." Donald Trump today speaks in this tone with journalists in the White House, and with Americans on his Twitter, and with NBC. And his competitors in the election race immediately adopted the aggressive rhetoric of the president, saying that a new Desert Storm can hang the label "Gone with the Wind" on Trump.
Alexander Khristenko has the details.
Canceling the attack at the last moment, Donald Trump didn't give up the idea of the four of them attacking Iran alone, for example. He sent his envoys to the Middle East to put together a "global coalition". Secretary of State Pompeo is visiting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, while NSA John Bolton in Israel threatens the Iranians.
John Bolton, NSA to the US president: "Neither Iran nor any other hostile actor should confuse American restraint and prudence with weakness. No one issued them a license to hunt in the Middle East".
But Iran prohibited America to hunt in its territory by shooting down a Global Hawk drone. And some in the White House suffered the loss painfully.
Donald Trump: “There are two groups of people on my team — doves and hawks. John Bolton is absolutely a hawk. If it were possible, he'd take on the whole world all at once".
Trump's doves, however, aren't peaceful at all. They propose not destroying but strangling Iran with economic sanctions. The US president introduced new restrictions today.
Donald Trump: "Today, I'm signing harsh sanctions against the supreme leader of Iran and his administration. These sanctions will restrict access for him and his closest circle to key financial resources. The assets of Ayatollah Khamenei and his circle won't avoid sanctions. These measures are a proportionate response to the provocative actions of Iran. We'll continue to apply pressure until the regime ceases dangerous activities, including the development of nuclear weapons, uranium enrichment, and support of terrorism".
Thus, they're trying to make Tehran sit at the negotiating table. But Iran demonstrated again that after America broke the nuclear deal, there's nothing to talk about.
Masoud Pezeshkian, Deputy Speaker of the Iranian parliament: "America and its gang should know that Iran won't surrender to their threats and will stand on its own and resist as long as we're alive".
Europe makes it clear to the U.S. that it doesn't want to participate in the coalition against Iran. British Minister for the Middle East Andrew Murrison went to Tehran. He said that he held constructive negotiations with Iranians. Christopher Burger, a representative of the German Foreign Ministry, stressed that Germany learned about the U.S.'s plans to create a global coalition against Iran from the media. France also wants dialogue, not war.
Donald Trump: "Europeans believe that the Iranians didn't violate the deal. I don't care what the Europeans think. They make a lot of money there. The Europeans are doing fine. France sells cars to Iran. We are very kind to Europe. We care about them. We've spent a huge, disproportionate amount of money on NATO".
The split with Europe and the threat of another war are new reasons for harsh criticism of Trump in the country on the eve of presidential elections. American celebrities returned to their old ways. Robert De Niro, Stephen King, and others starred in a video where they declared the president a liar and an accomplice of hostile Russia.
"The Russian government attacked our democracy".
Trump suggested that everyone re-read Mueller's report and understand the main conclusion was that there was no collusion.
Iran has become an important election topic in America. This doesn't bode well for the world. Presidential candidates here always compete in brutality, first and foremost.
Alexander Khristenko, Nikolay Koskin for Vesti from Washington, U.S.A.
