University of Chicago political scientist John Mearsheimer on Sunday delivered a harsh reality check to US President Donald Trump over the state of his illegal war with Iran.
In an interview with Australian journalist Tom Switzer, Mearsheimer was asked why Trump seemed willing to accept an arrangement in which Iran is able to demand fees from transport ships in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which has been almost entirely shut down since the US and Israel began bombing Iran in late February.
“It’s very simple,” Mearsheimer replied. “He has no choiceHe lost the war. This is a devastating defeat for the United States. Can you tell me what the United States should do to regain leverage over Iran? I actually think you can’t tell me because we have no solution.”
Mearsheimer then explained why Trump’s threats to escalate his assault on Iran ring completely hollow.
“One, he’s out of munitions,” the political scientist said. “Number two, our Gulf allies have told him, in no uncertain terms, that is unacceptable because the Iranians have made it clear that if we escalate, they will escalate, and they will destroy oil facilities, desalination plants and so forth.”
In the same discussion, Vali Nasr, professor of international affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, similarly argued that Iran appears to be in the driver’s seat. “The period where you can basically pressure Iran into submission,” he said, “I think is gone.”
Nasr added that Iran now appears to be “very comfortable demanding” concessions from the US in exchange for reopening the strait, and he said that many in the Washington foreign policy establishment had yet to understand this fact.
“In reality, Iran is not overplaying its hand,” he said. “It’s just playing its hand.”
The scholars’ arguments were echoed by Daniel DePetris, fellow at Defense Priorities, who wrote in an analysis published Monday that the US has little choice but to accept Iran charging fees to ships in exchange for passage through the strait.
While acknowledging such a situation is far from ideal, DePetris said that it became inevitable when Trump launched his unprovoked war without authorization from the US Congress more than five months ago.
“Trump’s war handed Iran the perfect excuse to leverage its geography, and the Iranians didn’t hesitate to do so,” wrote DePetris. “Over time, the Strait of Hormuz, in addition to Iran’s more aggressive posture toward its neighbors writ-large, has become something far more valuable: a strategic card Iran can play whenever Trump threatens to accelerate military operations.”
anyone hear about the abe lincoln? chitters not working. sailors jumping overboard. laundry self immolating. its a mental asylum right now 🤣🤣🤣🤣
This is Chumps Iran war. lead my mun keys and run by mun keys. 🤣🤣🤣 🤣🤣🤣
Scraping the barrel with your “expert” selection! Its like those consantly quoting the far left anti State “Haaretz” to prove a “point” which meets their agenda
So you think the US won the war 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Which asylum let you out? 🤣🤣🤣
It isn’t just a devastating defeat for Chump and the US, it’s a devastating and humiliating defeat for our miserable Western amigos. Deindustrialization, job losses, now they are kicked out of the gulf. Is there any good news for the west lately? How’s the reshoring coming along 🤣🤣🤣
Can’t you change your script for a change. We are not your mates! Never were
Give me a reason to tell you something other than the truth, like, are you winning in the gulf. I mean…. Throw me a bone. I don’t make this chit up. The US gets humiliated in the gulf, falls on their but-oles, I’m going to tell you they got humiliated in the gulf and fell on their but oles. I mean what else you want to hear? That it’s all peachy??? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Look, we will eat your lunch and drink you milkshake and then we will both sit down and have a beer after. No hard feelings my miserable Western amigo. 🤣🤣🤣
Basically, the orange t’aint is taking the US off the board. It’s a gift to the world. US citizens are going to have a much lower living standard going forward.
Trump, as usual, acts before he thinks. There can only be one outcome, and it will be a disaster.
He’s our guy. Our best friends. When it’s over, we give him a medal 🤣🤣🤣
Mr Mearsheimer is a rarity these days to find in the United Snakes of America. He is a voice of reason in a sea of insanity.
Mearsheimer who has been forecasting the imminent defeat of Ukr for 5yrs.
On the way down and trying very hard to maintain hegemony is expensive and ultimately futile. History will record this moment as the tipping point before the great collapse.
Yes, this is much bigger than Vietnam. This is the first time in at least 300 years that the No.1 Western power has or will have been driven from a key choke point (2 if you include the Red Sea).
But they are still at the choke point, and little oil is getting through. This affects China and Asia much more than the USA.
A “little oil” is enough for you?! Looks like “little” makes you happy no matter what 😉