Picture shows U.S. President Trump.

Iran has been deceived by Trump again. This round of information warfare launched by the U.S. can be written into textbooks.

The U.S. has taken action! The latest news at 8:00 AM Beijing time on June 22nd reports that the U.S. bombers have successfully struck Iran's underground nuclear facilities.

As usual, the message was first released by Trump through his own social media platform. He announced that the U.S. had "successfully" attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran, including Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. Judging from the wording, as soon as the U.S. warplanes left Iranian airspace, Trump couldn't wait to release the news, stating that the planes were on their way back home.

Picture shows B-2 bomber.

This message was later confirmed by U.S. officials. We are still unclear about the actual damage to Iran's underground nuclear facilities. However, it is certain that the attack was carried out by the U.S.'s B-2 bombers. On June 21st, six B-2 bombers took off from their bases in the U.S. and were deployed to Guam. This drew widespread media attention. Each B-2 bomber can carry two GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs, known as the "Mother of All Bombs." This bomb is second only to nuclear weapons in terms of explosive power. The GBU-57 has precision guidance capabilities and can make multiple drops on the same target point. This ability to strike underground nuclear facilities from the air is precisely what Israel lacks. Once the U.S. gets involved, it indeed accomplishes tasks that Israel cannot handle.

Let's not talk about the effectiveness of the strike for now, but we must admit that this round of information warfare launched by the U.S. can be recorded in textbooks. Before the operation, the U.S. released a series of smoke screens, creating an illusion that Trump was still hesitating. On one hand, Trump himself stated that he would make a decision within two weeks regarding whether to join the fight.

On the other hand, anonymous U.S. officials also released messages through The Washington Post, claiming that the "MAGA" camp led by Trump was divided over the Iran issue. The isolationists and hawks were engaged in a battle for influence over Trump's decision-making, each hoping to sway his decisions. The isolationists were concerned that the U.S. might get entangled in a prolonged war if they acted against Iran, while the hawks argued that this was a rare opportunity for the U.S. to destroy Iran's nuclear program and even promote regime change in Iran.

Such disputes created an illusion for outsiders, who never expected the U.S. to act so quickly. Although outsiders tracked the movements of the B-2 bombers heading to Guam, some analysts believed that the bombers would either remain on standby in Guam or head to the U.S.-UK joint military base in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, waiting for further orders. Some analysts believed that Trump would give Iran more time to back down.

Picture shows Trump and Netanyahu.

However, it seems that outsiders have all been deceived by the U.S. information warfare. Trump used both real and false tactics, first restarting nuclear talks with Iran to stabilize the situation and change Iran's expectations. Then, when Israel launched attacks on Iran, it provided the U.S. with an opportunity to play the role of a "good cop." Privately, Trump probably realized long ago that since the negotiations were going nowhere, why not use force, especially since Israel was willing to take the lead. Trump understands clearly that as long as the U.S. does not deploy ground troops, it will not get stuck in the quagmire of war like in Afghanistan and Iraq. The disparity in strength between the U.S., Israel, and Iran is too significant. Through short and swift aerial strikes, the U.S. will gain leverage for extreme pressure on Iran.

In his nationwide address, Trump will present more demands to Iran, such as warning Iran not to threaten the safety of U.S. personnel and military installations in the Middle East, among others. It is now time for Iran to show its cards. Whether to cut its losses or go all out is a difficult choice for Iran.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7518628015841100351/

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