What Should The US Do To React To Iran?

[Desk trauma]

So we should only do good things when they benefit us?

Our foreign policy should operate to preserve and secure our national interest. Humanitarian reasons should at best be secondary.

Do you support wars for oil?

No, it can be attained much better with trade.

 

[timothyu]

Reagan even backed Iran when Iraq was getting too strong.

And Saddam was a favoured allied individual against Iran like bin Laden was against what.. Russia in Afghanistan? Allies had better beware of allying themselves with the US. Tide's turn. Israel however, is not allied with the US but the other way around.

 

[Hank77]

For now, I'm OK with continuing to support our "allies" in the region (the Sunnis and Israel), and to oppose Iran's terrorist activities with heavy sanctions. Just going this far is a major change from the similar policies of Obama and Trump.

How do you think we should support Saudi Arabia?
Why do we support Sunnis?

 

[Tanj]

Pull all US troops out of the region
Remove all sanctions from Iran
Apologize profusely for overturning their democratic elections from a few decades ago.

 

[cow451]

How about letting Saudi Arabia fight its own war this time.

 

[timothyu]

How about letting Saudi Arabia fight its own war this time.

As Mr. Trump said yesterday, that is what they pay the US to do.

 

[cow451]

As Mr. Trump said yesterday, that is what they pay the US to do.

Dear Crown Prince:

 

[mark46]

We once were strong allies with the Shah of Iran. The country was very modern and West-leaning. In 1979, they had a religious revolution and took US hostages. Since then, US law has made clear that Iran is our sworn enemy. Both Democrats and Republicans have maintained this US policy. Since 1979, the Iranians have been the backers of many terrorists and terrorist groups.

The US has been allies of the Saudis and the other princes since we and the British put them in power a century ago. US companies have lots of involvement with the sheiks and their economies. Of course, the Sunnis have not been friends of the US since they raised oil prices drastically in the early 70's. The Saudis also had a religious takeover in 1979, but the sheiks bad a deal, where the Shah did not. The Saudis allowed the religious leaders to run the schools and to support terrorists throughout the world, including Al Qaeda and ISIS.

Obama moved along a goal of trying to start to deal with Iran, and of withdrawing from the region. Iran responded by continuing their terrorism. This became much more belligerent after Trump backed out of Obama's agreement and started "getting" tough on Iran. Iran has reacted with lots of violence.
==========
We cannot simply change overnight.

We have been allies to the sheiks for 100 years. We have considerable economic interests in their countries. What we can do is to reduce our military footprint, particularly by pulling all our troops out of the region other than from our Qatari and UAE bases, removing our Saudi bases, and stopping our support for the Saudi war with Yemen.

With regards to Iran, we can sit down with them and sign a new agreement which includes reductions in their export of terrorism through the region. Of course, it is difficult to distinguish between terrorism and war. In any case, we can allow them to sell their oil in the world market, and allow them to openly purchase technology.

How do you think we should support Saudi Arabia?
Why do we support Sunnis?

 

[mark46]

replacing russian money?

Dear Crown Prince:

 

[mark46]

You talk as if we are talking about some new war starting. The Saudis are fighting a war in Yemen, and in Syria. We need to withdraw our support.

How about letting Saudi Arabia fight its own war this time.

 

[wing2000]

Dear Crown Prince:

Tulsi takes off the gloves: "...you are not our pimp"

 

[timothyu]

we and the British put them in power a century ago.

More so the British until the US inherited the lot as spoils of a mercenary world war contribution. The same mercenary ideal Trump just alluded to.

 

[miggles]

Iran has again escalated by launching cruise missiles from Iran. It is not clear where the drones were launched from, but that matters little. Most of the oil capacity will be back on line soon. the effect on world oil prices has been minimal, and will be less whenever the US or others increase production or releases some reserves.

WHAT SHOULD THE US DO?
Congress doesn't know. There is no easy answer for anyone but the neocon hawks like Bolton who have wanted military strikes for a decade. Trump is waiting. He is consulting with Saudi Arabia, and will see the results of the Israeli election before acting.

One suggestion is that we give the Saudis all the military aid that they want, and have ZERO direct involvement by the US, other than the occasional advisor (as in Iraq). This theory would have withdraw from Afghanistan. After all, there is no real country, just 3 countries being forced together by the US.

john kerry and obama talk to iranian leaders all the time. telling them to provoke trump. they want trump to react in hopes that they can impeach him and remove him from office.

 

[joshua 1 9]

This theory would have withdraw from Afghanistan.

No one is going to withdraw from Afghanistan. We have to protect the drugs there to make sure the money does not fall into the hands of the terrorists. Trump is not interested in killing people, he is interested in the money and who controls the money. There are people he does not like and he wants to keep control of the money away from them.

 

[Jonathan Walkerin]

Iran has again escalated by launching cruise missiles from Iran. It is not clear where the drones were launched from, but that matters little.

Where the missiles are launched from is kind of important...it casts a different light if the missiles are from Tel Aviv or Teheran.

However, even if it was Teheran what else can they do. US has put them under illegal blockade and they are hurting. Not enough to really change anything since US has masterfully strengthened the influence of the religious and nationalist forces while in practice branding the reformers as traitors and underlings of the US.

Way to go now....wait for the next president then abolish the embargo and try more of a cultural victory with local reformers instead of this empty saber rattling when it is in nobody`s interest to actually have a shooting war.

 

[Lost4words]

USA should stay out of the troubles. Let the middle east sort it out.

 

[zephcom]

john kerry and obama talk to iranian leaders all the time. telling them to provoke trump. they want trump to react in hopes that they can impeach him and remove him from office.

References???

 

[Hank77]

We once were strong allies with the Shah of Iran. The country was very modern and West-leaning. In 1979, they had a religious revolution and took US hostages. Since then, US law has made clear that Iran is our sworn enemy. Both Democrats and Republicans have maintained this US policy. Since 1979, the Iranians have been the backers of many terrorists and terrorist groups.

The US has been allies of the Saudis and the other princes since we and the British put them in power a century ago. US companies have lots of involvement with the sheiks and their economies. Of course, the Sunnis have not been friends of the US since they raised oil prices drastically in the early 70's. The Saudis also had a religious takeover in 1979, but the sheiks bad a deal, where the Shah did not. The Saudis allowed the religious leaders to run the schools and to support terrorists throughout the world, including Al Qaeda and ISIS.

Obama moved along a goal of trying to start to deal with Iran, and of withdrawing from the region. Iran responded by continuing their terrorism. This became much more belligerent after Trump backed out of Obama's agreement and started "getting" tough on Iran. Iran has reacted with lots of violence.
==========
We cannot simply change overnight.

We have been allies to the sheiks for 100 years. We have considerable economic interests in their countries. What we can do is to reduce our military footprint, particularly by pulling all our troops out of the region other than from our Qatari and UAE bases, removing our Saudi bases, and stopping our support for the Saudi war with Yemen.

With regards to Iran, we can sit down with them and sign a new agreement which includes reductions in their export of terrorism through the region. Of course, it is difficult to distinguish between terrorism and war. In any case, we can allow them to sell their oil in the world market, and allow them to openly purchase technology.

Thanks, that's pretty much how I understood things.

 

[Fantine]

The U.S. should not act without proof. Yemenis are taking credit for the drone strike.

Some spectulate that Saudis sabotaged their own operations to tighten the oil market so they could raise prices...

 

[essentialsaltes]

"I have just instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to substantially increase Sanctions on the country of Iran!" Trump tweeted.

It wasn't immediately clear to whom the sanctions would apply.

White House, Treasury and State Department spokespeople did not immediately provide clarity on the new sanctions.