Given his ham-fisted bullying of Iran, it seems inconceivable that Trump could ever have sealed any deal without using stand-over tactics. I certainly don't think that the Iranian ayatollahs are paragons of virtue - without their assistance, the dictator Assad would have shot through and be living on the Riviera by now. But the long-suffering people of Iran are likely to rally behind their rulers for the time being if Iran is attacked.

The ayatollahs are not stupid: it seems that they have calculated that Trump is not much more than piss and wind, and are content to wait him out, until he does another 'North Korean-type' deal and completely wimps out. Bolton of course provides Trump with a backbone, in his willingness to bomb the daylights out of the Iranian population. And then what ? Occupy Iran ? It's a lot bigger than Iraq, and look how that turned out. Impose a complete blockade ? And who gets hurt by that if not the long-suffering Iranian people ?

Of course, Trump will rely on the Saudis and their allies to do most of the fighting, but they are a bit closer to Iranian missiles than the US is, and have little military experience except in kicking the daylights out of Yemen.

As well, Iran has powerful friends in Russia, Turkey, India and China, not to mention the efforts of the EU and Japan to bring some sense to the situation.

I wonder what Kissinger thinks of it all ?

Joe

Gee Binoy, with all your brilliant know it all theoretical learning, isn't it a pity the yanks couldn't have made you president.

Another Trump Derangement Syndrome article by Binoy, an immigrant to the western world he obviously despises. One wonders why he came to the west to live if he despises the west and our leaders so much? Could it be that despite Binoy gaining well paid employment as a "progressive" critic of the West, he knows that the west is the best?

Anyhoo, Binoy's rant goes along predictable lines. The problem is not an Iran led by 6th century religious relics with an apocalyptic worldview, which they would like to instigate because "it is written". Oh no, it is the USA. Perhaps Binoy is mad at the USA because that was where he originally wanted to immigrate too but the yanks were too smart and they would not allow Binoy or his family in?

It's a good thing that Binoy was not around in 1939 or he would have been portraying Hitler, Mussolini, and Tojo as the innocent victims of Churchill and FDR.