Trump threatens to quit, go home with Iran still controlling Strait of Hormuz
(Originally published April 1 in “What in the World“) The UAE is lobbying the U.S. and allies in Asia and Europe to mount a joint operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
While Trump is asserting the war may be over in a few weeks with or without reopening the vital passage, the Emirates is trying to get the U.N. Security Council to authorize the action, The Wall Street Journal reported citing unnamed “Arab officials,” in which the UAE would take an active military role. Trump appears to support abandoning the Strait to others, having scolded allies for not responding to his call last month for help, and suggesting in a post that if they want Gulf oil, they could go get it themselves:
“…build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT. You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!”
Meanwhile:
- The U.S. is using 60-year-old B-52s to bomb Iran;
- Israel conducted an airstrike against a pharmaceutical plant in Tehran;
- Israel’s defense minister said the country will likely occupy a 20-mile section of southern Lebanon once its offensive against Iran-backed militia Hezbollah is over;
While Trump has also been abandoning Asia to strike Iran, Japan has been building and fortifying bases on its southernmost islands north of Taiwan to defend against China.