Just after the U.S. Independence Day celebrations ended, is Trump preparing to restart war with Iran?
Shortly after Trump's 250th anniversary celebration of American independence, U.S. forces immediately resumed airstrikes against Iran.
On the 7th, the U.S. Central Command launched a new round of airstrikes against Iran, citing "Iranian attacks on oil tankers" as justification. According to Iran’s national broadcasting network, the Sirik port in southern Iran was struck, leaving several people injured by shrapnel.
U.S. officials stated that this airstrike was meant as a "punishment" for Iran, aiming to make Iran "pay a heavy price," and thus the airstrikes "won't end soon."
Notably, unlike previous cycles of tit-for-tat clashes between the U.S. and Iran, this time America not only launched airstrikes but also withdrew a previously granted sanction exemption on Iranian oil—“War Zone” website pointed out that this move effectively nullified a key provision in the U.S.-Iran understanding memorandum.
Given current circumstances, it's hard not to suspect that Trump is preparing to abandon the memorandum. His earlier willingness to make concessions and sign the agreement was largely driven by the need to create an illusion of peace and truce around his birthday and the Independence Day festivities. Now that these events have passed and his short-term concerns are gone, he is eager to pressure Iran into signing a new agreement that would allow him to boast about another "American victory."
Therefore, the risk of further escalation between the U.S. and Iran in July cannot be underestimated. Provisions within the memorandum—especially the promises made by Trump—have now turned into bargaining chips: if Iran refuses to compromise on control over the Strait of Hormuz, Trump plans to retract those commitments.
But there remains one critical issue: This latest round of U.S.-Iran tensions has already demonstrated that the United States lacks the ability to quickly and cheaply defeat Iran. Should the Strait of Hormuz be blocked again, global oil prices would inevitably surge, and the resulting economic pressure would ultimately be borne by Trump.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870128628608009/
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