USS Carl Vinson<\/p>\n
At first glance Trump appears to be readying for a U.S. strike on Iran. However, recent warnings from Russia and Iran may cause the strike to be put on hold.<\/p>\n
The warning from Russia<\/a> should have given President Trump serious pause for thought, as should the warning from Iran<\/a>. A senior advisor to the Ayatollah Khamenei, Ali Larijani, warned that Iran would start developing nuclear weapons if and when the U.S. struck any of Iran\u2019s nuclear sites.<\/p>\n In other words Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program, at the moment. However, if Trump wants a nuclear-armed Iran he only has to order strikes on its nuclear sites and it could have nuclear weapons in a matter of weeks. The choice is Trump\u2019s.<\/p>\n Confronted with this choice we think that Trump will back down publicly.<\/p>\n America is not the preeminent military power it was thirty years ago. It cannot fight several wars on multiple fronts. That\u2019s why Trump has backed away from any commitment to defend Europe.<\/p>\n Trump has his priorities. The first is to support Israel and the second is to deal with the emerging threat that is China. He can\u2019t do either if he\u2019s faced with the prospect of war with Russia in central Europe.<\/p>\n That’s why Trump appears to have come to some sort of agreement with Putin.<\/p>\n However, while Trump may seem to back down publicly we believe that behind the scenes he will give Israel all the help it needs to carry out strikes on Iran\u2019s nuclear sites. This will include intelligence and targeting data plus bunker busting munitions.<\/p>\n Israel is already in possession of much of this but Trump will secretly provide more. Enough to ensure that Israel can accomplish the task without any ostensible U.S. help.<\/p>\n Whether Israel can accomplish this remains to be seen, of course. Iran\u2019s air defences are on another level to those of Syria or Iraq when they faced Israeli air strikes. What\u2019s more there are many more targets in Iran than there were in Syria and Iraq combined.<\/p>\n So Israel could lose planes and cause only limited damage to Iran\u2019s nuclear sites.<\/p>\n One way or another, we will know in the next 6-12 months when the world could be in for some dramatic changes. Ed.<\/p>\n The Pentagon announced on Tuesday<\/a> that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered the deployment of an additional aircraft carrier and more US air assets to the Middle East, a move that comes amid a US bombing campaign in Yemen and increasing US threats against Iran.<\/p>\n Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said that the USS Harry Truman and its strike group will remain in the Middle East and will be joined by the USS Carl Vinson and its accompanying warships, which are traveling to the region from the Asia Pacific.<\/p>\n Parnell said Hegseth also \u201cordered the deployment of additional squadrons and other air assets that will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n Last week, the US sent at least five B-2 bombers<\/a> to its base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, which could be used as a launchpad to bomb either Yemen or Iran. The Biden administration used B-2s to launch heavy airstrikes on Yemen in October 2024<\/a>, an attack the Pentagon made clear was a message to Iran.<\/p>\n The US has been bombing Yemen every day since launching an initial round of airstrikes on March 15. President Trump has signaled the airstrikes could intensify<\/a>, warning that if the Houthis don\u2019t stop their attacks, the \u201creal pain is yet to come.\u201d<\/p>\nPentagon Deploying Additional Aircraft Carrier and Air Assets to Middle East<\/strong><\/h1>\n
Dave DeCamp \u2013 Anti-War.com April 1, 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n