So Far in the Nearly Six Months of Conflict, It Has Been Clear That Every Fresh Escalation Has Backfired on Washington, As Iran Has Dug in Its Heels and Escalated Its Reaction

Trump’s ‘Delusional’…

Iran strongly disagreed with Trump’s statements from Friday nite regarding the combat status and oil transit in the region, which he made public on Saturday.

During his speech on Long Island, New York, Trump floated the notion of designating the Strait of Hormuz as US property. “After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated — pretty soon, I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” Trump explained to the assembled police officers.

To put it simply, it is its essence. We have the barrier in place. According to him, ships won’t pass thru unless we give them permission. That oil prices were going to drop “way down” was his claim.

Trump made the comment without any caveats other that it will happen when Iran is “badly defeated” by the United States. Some pundits pointed out what appeared like classic hyperbole and his tendency for floating extreme scenarios off-the-cuff. It appears that in the future scenario, that is the major if.

When asked about the United States’ claim to the strait, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded on Saturday X, saying:

He described the Strait of Hormuz as “Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian” in his English translation of his Persian poem. “This strait will only be closed and opened under Iran’s command.”

As a result of Washington’s refusal to “accept the reality of defeat,” the Iranian official continued, the president must “stop indulging in its delusions” and adopt a more realistic perspective on the fight.

While the United States Navy maintains its blockade of Iranian ports, the Iranians have been emphasizing their intention to maintain the blockade.

Tehran maintains that the Oman deal, which is not yet finalized, is totally autonomous from US demands and conditions, and that the US should thus stay out of it:

Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, told state-run Defa Press that, following weeks of technical negotiations, Iran and Oman had agreed on a shipping route plan for the Strait of Hormuz.

“Despite US obstruction, the talks have made positive progress over the past three weeks and an agreement has been reached on the shipping route map.”

He went on to say that the two nations would keep exchanging information until the process was complete, and that they were still working out certain kinks, such as a joint statement from Tehran and Muscat.

There will likely be more fighting as long as both sides maintain their contradictory absolutist demands and circumstances, even if it’s restricted, tit-for-tat, and gradual.

In the run-up to the US midterm elections in November, some conservative Republicans are demanding that Trump take a strong military stand, such as ordering the seizure of Kharg Island, to demonstrate to both Iran and the American people that Tehran does not hold the upper hand.

So far in the nearly six months of conflict, it has been clear that every new escalation has backfired, with Iran digging in its heels and responding with equally escalating measures.