Post #1009288

Underreported. >On March 24, The New York Times published an article which reported that Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, has told President Trump that he needs to finish the job, overthrow the Iranian regime or render it so feeble that it cannot threaten anyone — the second condition likely being impossible without achieving the first. As the Times put it (emphasis added), “Prince Mohammed has conveyed to Mr. Trump that he must press toward the destruction of Iran’s hard-line government.” >Placing a story like this in the Times, is about as clear and as audacious a message a Saudi ruler can send to the U.S. government without purchasing a nationwide 30-second ad campaign. I interpret this as MBS saying: just to be sure the message is getting through or I’m putting this out here in case you’re getting the message and not sharing it with your people. Trump whacked a hornets nest, and MBS says now Trump needs to remove the nest. It can’t be left in place. He needs to overthrow or defang the Iranian regime. The status quo is unacceptable, whatever nonsense of the day Trump may be saying about the strait not being his problem. >The common thinking in the U.S. is that President Trump either blundered his way into this mess or was goaded into it by Benjamin Netanyahu. There’s a bit of truth to the second idea and a lot to the first. But it’s MBS and the leader of the UAE along with other gulf princes who are really Trump’s guys, much more so than Netanyahu. The way the Trump White House has interwoven U.S. security, money and geopolitics with them runs much deeper. And, critically and relatedly, the Trump family’s business ties with them are infinitely deeper. https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/theres-another-big-reason-trump-is-stuck-in-the-gulf