Hot Take: U.S. Seizes On Iranian Tanker Attacks

See, the problem according to CNN’s Stephen Collinson is not that the Iranians attacked tankers, but that Trump and his people are seizing

US seizes on tanker attacks to up the stakes with Iran

When a US Secretary of State is as swift and unequivocal as Mike Pompeo was in blaming Iran for brazen attacks on two fuel tankers in the Gulf of Oman, he begs an equally blunt question.

What is the United States going to do about it?

Just over 12 hours after reports broke in slumbering Washington about the new crisis, Pompeo appeared in the State Department Briefing Room to significantly raise the stakes.

“It is the assessment of the United States government that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Gulf of Oman today,” Pompeo said.

He cited intelligence, weapons used, the required expertise and sophistication of the assault and previous attacks to conclude it was the latest assault by Iran on “freedom-loving nations.”

Pompeo offered no evidence for his accusations. He did not allow questions so journalists could challenge his assertions. And his decision not to allow a few days to elapse for a full investigation left no doubt about US intentions.

He left the room after warning the “United States will defend its forces, interests, and stand with our partners and allies to safeguard global commerce and regional stability.”

Later on Thursday night, US Central Command released a video that it claims shows a smaller Iranian boat sailing up next to the tanker to remove an unexploded mine. An individual stands up on the bow of the boat and can be seen removing an object from the tanker’s hull. The US says that object is likely an unexploded mine.

Here’s the video

American officials released images they said show that Iran was involved in an attack on an oil tanker near the entrance to the Persian Gulf on Thursday https://t.co/bFIFSuXiGw pic.twitter.com/LffwsARZFV

— Bloomberg (@business) June 14, 2019

But, wait, it could all be a false flag!

Apart from Pompeo’s swift warning to Iran over the attacks and the CENTCOM video, there has not yet been any independent international assessment that blames Iran or its proxies for the attacks — though suspicion is hanging heavy on the Islamic Republic.

The Trump administration’s documented record of perpetrating falsehoods means it inevitably faces a higher bar for its statements on an issue as critical as Iran. Memories are also still fresh of botched intelligence that led the US into war with Iraq.

And all sorts of Democratic Party voters are trotting out their conspiracy theories, such as

The Gulf of Credibility – I really cannot begin to fathom how stupid you would have to be to believe that Iran would attack a Japanese oil tanker at the very moment that the Japanese Prime Minister was sitting down to friendly, US-disapproved talks in https://t.co/P1wE1Y886i

— Craig Murray (@CraigMurrayOrg) June 14, 2019

Murray is a former British ambassador.

Anyhow, what will happen? Time will tell. Iran should realize, though, that Trump is not Obama. Trump won’t sit idly by while Iran brazenly attacks. He’s not Obama, who sat back meekly while Iran seized American naval boats and held the U.S. Navy personnel hostage.