TACO or not….?

Some of the world is holding its breath to see whether Trump will decide to use force against the brutal regime in Iran. I say some, as the other half of the world couldn’t care less if as many as 40,000 innocent Iranian protesters were killed and many more maimed by their own government. I haven’t seen any demonstration of note by non-Iranians in any European capital against the terrorist regime in Tehran. Contrast this with the thugs who are still shouting for Hamas—and, obviously, I haven’t seen the ICJ start proceedings against Khamenei.

In any event, Trump has now assembled a respectable force off the shores of the Persian Gulf, which could wreak havoc on Iran. Will he use it? Nobody knows, as Trump obviously believes that his policy of confusing the opponent, whether in business or war, has worked wonders for him over the course of his business and then political careers.

What we can surmise is that Trump has, over the last year, gained enough street cred that the ayatollahs have to factor in that he just may use force, as he did in June with the “beautiful B-2 bombers,” and more recently in Venezuela. This credibility gives him leverage, and it is quite possible that he will play his hand with no rush. I have heard a political commentator say that a raid is likely in Q1. We still have nearly two months to go, and Iran has no good outcomes. If it agrees to Trump’s requests in negotiations—which will include not only foregoing nuclear ambitions, but also missiles and harsh repression—it will lose face; if it is attacked, the regime will either be decapitated, or it will give hope and impetus to revolt. We are indeed living in interesting times!