Trump's positive war spin falls on deaf ears

Closed for enemies

Tehran has declared that it will "not allow even a single litre of oil" intended for the US, Israel and their allies to pass through the narrow waterway. The deepening crisis in the Gulf has led oil industry experts to predict that, if hostilities do not end soon, the cost of crude oil could soon reach $200 a barrel, and that a prolonged war could "destroy" the world economy. Furthermore, Iran and Hezbollah's coordinated missile attack on Israel dispels claims that Tehran lost its ability to coordinate with other 'axis' members

The latest developments run in stark contrast to Trump's claims that the US has already won the war against Iran. Addressing hundreds of supporters assembled inside a packaging plant in northern Kentucky, Trump boasted that Iran's military and nuclear capabilities had been significantly degraded.

"Their drones are down 85%, we're blowing up their factories," the president claimed."They don't know what the hell hit them."

While not offering further details on when the 10-day-old conflict would end, the president seemed to suggest that it might not be soon. "We don't want to go back every two years. We're going to finish the job," he said.

Pain at the pump

Trump's attempts to put a positive spin on the war, with hostilities now having taken place for two weeks, have nevertheless failed to reassure Americans who were already largely opposed to the war before it even started. Concerns about rising fuel prices and the broader impact of the conflict on consumers could pressure Trump to end the conflict sooner than he would like.

The deepening global impact of the war, particularly Iran's attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz, will raise questions about how much planning the Trump administration invested in preparing for Iran's likely response before launching "Operation Epic Fury."

While the US spent weeks assembling its powerful armada in the Middle East in anticipation of renewed hostilities with Iran, little attention appears to have been paid to the likelihood that the Iranian regime would resort to asymmetric tactics if attacked.

Iran has been warning for decades that, in the event of hostilities with the US and its allies, its first priority would be to close the Strait. To this end, it has developed a new range of missiles, drones, and remotely operated speedboats, designed specifically to attack Gulf shipping. It now appears some of the speed boats were used in the attacks against foreign oil tankers operating close to the Iraqi coast.

So while Trump can boast that he has managed to inflict enormous damage on Iran, his claim that the war has effectively been won remains very much an open question.