Trump Heading Toward Confrontation with Iran?
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Trump, neocons in Washington, AIPAC, Netanyahu and likeminded Israeli hardliners are militantly opposed to Iran – for its sovereign independence and opposition to US/Israeli imperial aims.
Monday in Buenos Aires on a Latin America tour, Netanyahu raged against Iran, wrongfully accusing the country of terrorism, ignoring Israeli high crimes of war and against humanity, its vicious persecution against millions of Palestinians.
Argentina’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate Adolfo Perez Esquivel blasted him for “committing crimes against humanity…killing civilians, bombing schools, hospitals and Palestinian mosques, (and) provid(ing) protection to a repressor of the last Argentine dictatorship.”
He referred to Israel’s refusal to extradite Teodoro Anibal Gauto, accused of committing crimes against humanity during Argentina’s 1976-1983 military dictatorship.
Protests are planned when Netanyahu meets with right-wing Argentine President Mauricio Macri and Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes.
He seeks expanded Latin American business ties, along with support from its hardline regimes for his oppressive agenda. Stops in Colombia and Mexico are planned before heading to New York for the General Assembly’s annual meeting.
On September 11, an exclusive Reuters report said Trump is considering more aggressive policies toward Iran in response to its alliance with Syria and relations with Iraqi Shiites.
A “proposal was prepared by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, national security adviser HR McMaster and other top officials, and presented to Trump at a National Security Council meeting on Friday,” said Reuters, citing unnamed current and former US officials.
The scheme “set(s) broad strategic objectives,” hawkish administration general empowered to implement them, one unnamed official saying:
“Whatever we end up with, we want to implement with allies to the greatest extent possible.”
Clearly Trump wants to renege on the nuclear agreement, not easily achieved with the other P5+1 countries and the IAEA endorsing it – Iran in full compliance with its principles.
According to Reuters’ unnamed sources, Trump wants Tehran’s legitimate ballistic missile program curbed, along with efforts to undermine its alliance with Syria in combating US-supported terrorism.
More illegal unilateral US sanctions may be imposed, perhaps confronting Iranian vessels in international waters to try undermining its anti-terrorism activities, a dangerous tactic if authorized, something Tehran won’t tolerate.
US/Israeli hostility toward Iran risks eventual confrontation. Possible involvement of Russia could follow if its ally is attacked and requests aid similar to Moscow’s Syrian operation.
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