On the contrary Mr. Kilmeade, it makes all the sense in the world.
We basically had three options:
1) Prolong the blockade along the Strait. Economically unpalatable not just to us, but to our own allies. (I can only imagine just how many people have been shouting at the White House since 2/28.)
2) Escalate to a full-blown invasion of Iran, as our prior aerial bombardments had not been sufficient to keep Iran from paralyzing the Strait of Hormuz. (Given Iran's geography, this also came with its own risks, and attempting to invade Iran would likely result in a full-blown revolt amongst the Republicans and MAGA by the anti-war/isolationist faction...and there's no guarantee that the economic impact would be resolved any more quickly than in Option 1.)
3) Make a deal, even if the terms aren't favorable. (Because, like it or not, we lost militarily, because we were unable to actually impose our will on Iran, nor were we able to obtain any of our strategic objectives.)
Diplomatically salvaging a bad situation is pretty much the best card left for Trump, and he's playing it as hard as he can.
The mainstream freakout over the "bad deal" misses the crucial point: it was a bad war, which the US and Israel decisively lost.
The "bad deal" is a byproduct of that loss.
You have to reckon with the fact it was a bad war and a lost war, or your analysis is garbage.
So those of us who said from the start that this was a stupid, unnecessary, and politically disastrous military campaign were right after all.
Well if there is anything this whole ordeal did is solidify my permanent break from Fox News.
“You have to reckon with the fact it was a bad war and a lost war, or your analysis is garbage.”
The Iranian armed forces were totally destroyed. The top tier level of leaders were all killed. Their economy is in shambles. The country is at the mercy of the UNOPPOSED United States military.
Can you cite from history a similar circumstance where the recipients of such destruction and circumstances were deemed the victors?
The only cards the Iranians have to play is their knowledge that Trump does not want to destroy the economic infrastructure of Iran — their bridges, power plants, etc., and permanently harm the Iranian people, and they watch the news and know the democrats are on their side.
You are a complete idiot to believe the Iranian press and their lapdogs the democrats with their media. You had to rely on repeating your main point twice in an effort to turn an accusation into a fact.
You have to reckon with the fact that bombing Iran was
a bad war.... and a lost war..... or your analysis is garbage.
“You have to reckon with the fact it was a bad war and a lost war, or your analysis is garbage.”
It is good war, Iran’s bomb dreams, the destruction of Israel, and global jihah are buried beneath a mountain of rubble and an existential threat has been removed. And it isn’t a “lost war”, it is a war put on pause for political expediency. I expect it will be resumed and completed after the election.
a) Israel was willing to take a great risk to achieve more;
b) the Saudis and Gulf States were surprisingly willing to go along even as the costs of the war to them rose sharply;
Our allies have borne a far greater cost proportionately than we have, only to be undercut by Trump and returned to roughly the status quo ante bellum. It will take a long time before the US recovers that loss of trust.
c) The US military seems to have made fundamental mistakes regarding Iran's capabilities and failed to adequately protect our own and allied resources. The Ukraine War has amply demonstrated both drone and anti-drone capability, but no one seems to have paid attention. Plus Iran's ballistic missile capability seems to have been severely underestimated.
This isn't a loss like Vietnam or Afghanistan where US elites and a segment of the public simply became exasperated by a local ally who seemed incapable of standing on its own. This is a defeat of the US in the field or at least will be perceived that way due to Trump's decisions.
Trump has made himself look like a fool and the US like a country not to be taken seriously. "Coercive diplomacy" may have been the intent, but Trump seems to have never been prepared to raise the coercion to the level necessary to achieve the diplomatic objectives.
As is usually the case, we will pay the price in both blood and treasure down the road.
Opinions. Not facts.
We basically had three options:1) Prolong the blockade along the Strait. Economically unpalatable not just to us, but to our own allies. (I can only imagine just how many people have been shouting at the White House since 2/28.)
Option 1 is not really an option. The price of gas is being kept artificially low by releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). The containers will start to run out in a few weeks and there would then be no way to limit the spike in oil prices. President Trump has no option to simply maintain the status quo.
2) Escalate to a full-blown invasion of Iran, as our prior aerial bombardments had not been sufficient to keep Iran from paralyzing the Strait of Hormuz.
It is not clear that we have a land force large enough to do the job. It may require a draft and the time required to create an adequate force. It is also not clear that we have sufficient logistics to optimally supply such a force with a logistical tail 7,000 miles long. As for opening the strait by force, sinking a few tankers in the channel would shut it down.
3) Make a deal, even if the terms aren't favorable. (Because, like it or not, we lost militarily, because we were unable to actually impose our will on Iran, nor were we able to obtain any of our strategic objectives.)
The original selling point of entering the armed conflict was that the Iranian people would rise up en masse and overthrow their government, and if that did not happen, we could just blow some stuff up for a few days and leave. And then Israel's first act was to blow up the Ayatollah and several members of his family, closing the door on the idea of just leaving after a few days. President Trump found himself trapped between a boots on the ground war for Israel, or tendering a Memorandum of Conditional Surrender. There was no military way forward and no way to remain in place and wait them out while the Western and Gulf economies melted down. The MOU was the least bad of the available choices.
The problem with implementing the MOU is how the U.S. curbs its dog, Israel, and makes it behave. We could start by removing all of our tanker aircraft from Israel and cutting off all logistical military support if any attacks on Lebanon occur.
The domestic problem with the MOU is how to paint the whole adventure in any favorable light. President Trump's ego will not allow him to admit he was played by Netanyahu on the world stage. We have gained nothing by the adventure, lost much, and have accepted the bill for what has been broken. And there are dead people.
Iran and Oman will collect navigational assistance and environmental fees. Iran will follow the United States lead in charging navigation fees. As you may observe, when the U.S. charges a navigation fee, it is not a toll.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/19/4.98
19 CFR § 4.98 - Navigation fees.(a)
(1) The Customs Service shall publish a General Notice in the Federal Register and Customs Bulletin periodically, setting forth a revised schedule of navigation fees for the following services:
Fee No. and description of services
1 Entry of vessel, including American, from foreign port:
(a) Less than 100 net tons.
(b) 100 net tons and over.2 Clearance of vessel, including American, to foreign port:
(a) Less than 100 net tons.
(b) 100 net tons or over.3 Issuing permit to foreign vessel to proceed from port to port, and receiving manifest.
4 Receiving manifest of foreign vessel on arrival from another port, and granting a permit to unlade.
5 Receiving post entry.
6 [Reserved]
7 Certifying payment of tonnage tax for foreign vessels only.
8 Furnishing copy of official document, including certified outward foreign manifest, and others not elsewhere enumerated.
[...]
the broadcast side of it...occasionally there are worthwhile articles to read. but the on-air, Levin-Hannity echo chamber...is so toxic. And hopefully Trump won't be so inundated with their garbage anymore.