• grue
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    48
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    2 months ago

    Trump can’t stop it. The Iranians control the strait; only they decide when we’re done. Nothing Trump can do, even surrendering and withdrawing completely from the entire middle east, can force them to let ships through if they don’t want to.

    I cannot overemphasize how royally and permanently Trump fucked up by disrupting the previous status quo, where Iran still thought the US had power to enforce maritime law.

    • Kirp123
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      17
      ·
      2 months ago

      Yep. Iran has won this war for all intents and purposes.

    • frunch
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      13
      ·
      2 months ago

      But have you considered more tariffs?

      • NABDad
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        18
        ·
        2 months ago

        Money. We’ve shown them that they can charge for transit through the strait.

        • whyrat
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          2 months ago

          The access charge would probably be less than the current cost.

          Or a better way to phrase it: more oil tankers would traverse the strait if the price was known and stable, compared to the risk of attack and unknown outcome they currently face.

    • Log in | Sign up
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      2 months ago

      They have no reason to stop the ships if trump buggers off. They’ll charge, but there’s not a lot trump can do about that before he dies.

      • aquovie@lemmy.cafe
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        2 months ago

        I don’t think Trump has the ability to stop. His ego won’t let him and his party won’t force him. If the US surrenders (and that’s exactly what it will be), the MAGA movement will die. Trump and Iran are like Putin and Ukraine right now.

        Consequently, this is also why the Democrats absolutely can not force a surrender either: it will give MAGA a scapegoat. “We were winning but the leftist socialists made us surrender!” It doesn’t matter that it doesn’t make any sense, MAGA will accept that as absolute truth because they’re a cult.

        • Log in | Sign up
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          2 months ago

          Trump is pathologically unable to make rational decisions, yes, and extraordinarily badly motivated.

    • gdog05
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      2 months ago

      You say Trump fucked up. I say Trump behaved as intended with the intended result.

      • Yew
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        9
        ·
        2 months ago

        You’re giving him way too much credit.

        • gdog05
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          2 months ago

          I never said this was his plan. The only plans he’s personally capable of are raping, stealing and ego feeding. That’s his limits. But he’s capable of thinking ideas are his very readily, and following plans of others.

      • grue
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        2 months ago

        You think Trump intended to make the GOP as unpopular as possible just before the midterm?