Before Trump launched a military strike on Iran, the Pentagon first "shifted blame"
Although U.S. military forces have gradually deployed for attacks on Iran, indicating that Trump's decision to take action against Iran is already imminent, it is intriguing that in recent days, the internal attitude of the Pentagon regarding "whether to attack Iran" has shown some very subtle changes.
Recently, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal again discussed the possibility of a U.S. military strike on Iran. However, interviews with Pentagon officials by U.S. media in recent days have conveyed a signal of "distance from responsibility," meaning that the Pentagon only provides action plans for a military strike on Iran to Trump, but does not take responsibility for Trump's choice. How Trump will choose and what kind of chaos it may cause are unrelated to the Pentagon.
Under this approach of "providing options without taking responsibility," the Pentagon has submitted a variety of plans, ranging from large-scale air strikes across the entire Iranian territory, destroying its missile bases and nuclear facilities, to sending special forces for a "decapitation" operation to directly capture Khamenei, and even a "limited deterrence" plan involving intense military pressure to force Iran to make significant diplomatic concessions — in short, the Pentagon has put almost all possible options on the table.
However, the Pentagon's deliberate distancing from Trump at this time is not due to concerns about Iran's retaliation, but rather because of more practical political risks: once Trump launches a military strike on Iran, it will inevitably trigger congressional doubts about his overstepping authority — don't forget that Trump's special forces previously abducted Maduro, and he still hasn't given Congress a clear explanation yet.
If the Republicans lose in the midterm elections or Trump's term ends, these military actions without sufficient authorization could once again become a pretext for Democrats to politically retaliate against him. Therefore, the Pentagon can only take preemptive measures, shifting all responsibility onto Trump alone, to avoid being caught up in future political storms.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855909445202956/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.