Trump’s war on two fronts

Donald Trump had dark rings under his eyes when he stopped by with the traveling journalists in the Air Force One around midnight. A long day and a rushed departure from the G7 summit in Canada were behind the president. A correspondent wanted to know whether he saw opportunities for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. « I never said that we are aiming for an armistice, » countered Trump. On television recordings you can see how he complains about France’s President Emmanuel Macron, who « often doesn’t understand things properly ». In fact, he wanted something better: « An end. A complete abandoning. »

It was one of those cryptic and contradictory comments on the American position in the Israeli-Iranian war, as Trump currently has every minute. A few hours earlier, he had explained on the edge of the summit in Kananaski, who was « practically already at the negotiating table ». The Mullahs wanted to « make a deal ». Shortly afterwards, he asked the residents of Tehran to evacuate on his online platform.

Zigzag course of the positions

When Trump ended up in Washington in the early American Tuesday morning, there was a guesswork in the American capital about the next steps of the unpredictable president. He retired for a few hours. The National Security Council should come together in the course of the morning. « Nobody knows exactly how this develops, » confessed the usually well -informed newsletter « Politico Playbook ».

Since the Israeli air raid on Iranian nuclear and military facilities on Friday night, the President has taken a wide variety of positions to the conflict. A few hours before the bombing, he said that he did not want Israel to attack. Then he called the attack « Excellent » and claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inaugurated him in advance. Nevertheless, he insisted that Washington had « nothing to do » with the campaign.

On the one hand, the accompanying course of the President has tactical reasons. Obviously, Netanyahu cannot be used in the Gaza Strip or in the conflict with the archenemy Iran of Washington. Trump doesn’t want to be a weakling. So he always tries to present himself as a driving force. But behind the facade of public statements there is a serious conflict with far -reaching consequences: Should the USA Israel support the destruction of the destruction of Iranian nuclear facilities and thus actively enter war or rely on a negotiating solution with Tehran? In the first case, there is a terrible fire burn in the Middle East. In the second, a favorable moment could be missed to finally end the grip of the Mullah regime after the atomic bomb.

Israel is still dependent on the USA

The Netanyahu government leaves no doubt that it wants military support from Washington. It is about the destruction of the Fordo nuclear system in the mountains south of Tehran, where uranium could be enriched for arms production for 80 to 90 meters underground. Only the United States owns 14 tons of GBU-57 bombs that could destroy facilities at this depth. For their use, however, American pilots with B-2 long-range bombers would have to penetrate Iranian airspace-with unforeseeable consequences.

Last but not least, Trump has won the promise to end the « endless wars » with American participation. At the same time, he insists that Iran shouldn’t have an atomic bomb. Now it is in a dilemma in terms of domestic policy, while the tensions within the American population continue to increase.

Foreign policy falcons like the Republican Senator Lindsey Graham demand that the Iranian nuclear program should have nothing left: « If bombs are necessary, we have to send bombs. » On the other hand, loud resistance moves from the right-wing wing of the Trump camp. Former chief ideologist Steve Bannon warns that the « Deep State » wants to drive Trump into a war that is against the interests of the United States. « If Israel wants to wage this war, every right has it. But not with the support of America, » also argues the prominent ex-fox news moderator Tucker Carlson.

Trump apparently goes too far: « Can someone explain to the crazy Tucker Carlson that Iran is not allowed to have nuclear weapons? » He wrote on his social media platform. But well-known representatives of the America-First movement do not even remember: « Interventions abroad kill innocent people, drive us into financial bankruptcy and will lead to lower destruction in the long term, » held the ultra-right MP Marjorie Taylor Green: « This is not crazy. Millions of Americans have given up their voice for this position. »