Rubio speaks on the topic of the Iran MOU
I was waiting to hear from Rubio on this. Ignore the silly clickbait title:
Rubio’s attitude and the tenor of his message contrasts at least somewhat with that of Vance. Rubio seems more realistic to me in terms of what he’s saying. Of course, neither is in charge; Trump is. And the Rubio/Vance contrast – which is more one of emphasis, I think – may be intentional, with Rubio presenting to Iran as the “bad cop” and Vance the “good cop.”
The video isn’t all that long. But it highlights the important bits, with commentary. I watched it like I watch most talking heads videos: speeded up. But if you don’t have the patience to watch, here’s a very short excerpt I think is important. Rubio has a very clear way of stating things; here he’s asked about the attitude of the current Iranian leaders and whether they are religious fanatics:
I’m heartened by his statements and the military response this past week. As long as they (and we should also) ignore all the BS Iran pumps out, and then just judge by the actions, we’ll see what plays out.
I have been very interested in Rubio’s relative silence. I was beginning to think it ominous.
If the Administration is playing ‘good cop-bad cop’ I would advise them to stop playing, and meet Iran with eyes wide open, and a measure of determination. A joke. I suspect that Trump does not take advice.
I imagine that the likes of China and Russia view the scenario that has played over the past two months, and are encouraged by what can only be interpreted as a certain lack of resolve.
Unlike Physicsguy, with whom I usually agree, I am not impressed by a retaliation involving six airplanes hitting four targets of unknown significance. Iran hit one ship. CentCom says U.S. forces shot down three other drones; were they fired on three other ships? Not clear. Then Iran fired a missile, or missiles, at Bahrain, which is the headquarters of our 5th Fleet.
That is deliberate provocation.
It would seem that the Trump team are not negotiating with the people who have their fingers on the trigger. Further, I do not know how you negotiate through honest brokers such as Pakistan and Oman. Even if you trust the intermediaries, which would be naive in this case, there is tremendous potential for miscommunication.
On a subject related to Hormuz. Not so long ago, I read that the European brain trust had convened and developed a joint plan to keep the straits open. Then I read that France’s little aircraft carrier was in the area, and prepared to do something or other. Clearly, misleading.