Heritage Foundation: Trump Tries Gunboat Diplomacy With Iran – Here’s Why He’s Doing It

[TomSea]

Trump Tries Gunboat Diplomacy With Iran – Here’s Why He’s Doing It
James Carafano

The United States is sending a Navy carrier group to the Middle East. Why? Because it can.

It’s a continuation of the tit-for-tat struggle between the White House and the regime in Tehran that’s been going on for over a year – ever since the U.S. withdrew from the Obama-era Iran Deal.

Washington has no confidence in that deal, which gave Tehran hard cash and sanctions relief up front in exchange for weak restrictions, with sunset clauses, on its nuclear weapons program. Moreover, Iran’s conduct since signing the deal – its support for surrogate forces terrorizing the region and its attempt to use Syria as a strategic corridor for threatening the survival of Israel – has further dismayed the U.S.

Tehran wasn’t happy when Trump pulled out of the deal. The regime faces troubles from within: protests, a tanking economy and botched responses a natural disaster. And it is now more isolated from the international community, due to Washington’s leadership.

Read more at: https://www.heritage.org/middle-east/commentary/trump-tries-gunboat-diplomacy-iran-heres-why-hes-doing-it