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Why might Iran want nuclear weapons? In large part because the US goes around attacking countries that lack nuclear weapons. Kim Jong Un sleeps at night because he has nuclear weapons. Saddam Hussein, Qaddafi and Assad are dead or in exile because they lacked nuclear weapons.
The best way to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons is to negotiate sincerely, flush every piece of hysterical Israeli 'intelligence' straight down the toilet and get on with pursuing national interests, in contrast to slavishly serving Israel.
That's what Europe's general stance has been. Diplomacy, trade, win-win. The US has wrecked this and done its absolute best to make a strong case for Iranian nuclearization. Quite clearly Iran's conventional forces have failed to deter attacks on the country.
The US launched this retarded war, without any clear plan for victory, without even the necessary capabilities for victory. The US army can't be deployed quickly enough to bases that are being bombed out and would probably bog down in the first couple of major cities before even reaching Tehran. The US air force can post all these epic videos of explosions (real or decoys, nobody knows) but cannot seem to prevent Iran firing off waves of missiles and drones, cannot defeat Iran's plan to inflict economic pain until the US gives up.
Trump has played into the Iranian plan masterfully, obsessing about market manipulation. He shows weakness every day of the week, while constantly backflipping and making fresh ultimatums, then extending them. One day he unsanctions Iranian oil to lower prices, the next he blockades Iran. Inconstant and incoherent. An ideal target for a prolonged economic campaign.
The US navy can blockade Iran but cannot undo Iran's blockade of the straits. They cannot defeat Iran's plan.
European forces don't have the capability to do what the US can't, there is no reason for them to charge into the valley of death. It's egregious for the US to pussy out, slinking away from the straits with the 'world's most powerful navy' and demand their allies charge in and die, for the sake of a war that directly harms their interests.
They've seemingly always wanted them for the purpose of deploying them against the US and Israel. Yes also so they can do their terrorism in the Middle East without fearing reprisals.
I think this is the European approach because they have no other approach. If Iran makes moves towards nuclearization they just shrug and say, "aww shucks." If Iran engages in piracy against their vessels they just shrug and say, "aww shucks."
Yeah, it was a bad war. Not for these reasons. For the reason that Trump should have no Europe wouldn't like it, and most of America wouldn't like it because war is expensive. AND most importantly because everyone should have known what was actually necessary to win the war, which was actions that America has not taken since 1945 and is unlikely to take until it is in an actual existential war.
Yeah, the Trump chaos plan doesnt work against people who would strap a bomb to themselves if they thought it would kill 5 Americans.
Because Europe accepts piracy of its own vessels because they are mad at Trump.
Imagine if Israel did this to the Suez Canal everytime Hamas or Hezbollah attacked them. You wouldn't be making this same stupid argument.
Its true they can't do what we cant, but its plausible (unlikely because they are comically useless as a general rule) they could do what we are UNWILLING to do, which is land ground forces and seize all access to the straight. They could deploy escort ships to the straight. They would, of course, do those things if Morocco was mining the Straight of Gilbralter over a border dispute with Algeria and shooting at French, British, and German vessels and demanding $100 billion annually in tolls for using said waterway.
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