Middle East War: Summary of the Situation on March 17 —— The US Attempts to Clear the Strait of Hormuz through Bombing……

Instead of relying on a naval fleet, the U.S. has opted for heavy air power for bombing. The U.S. is attempting to destroy Iran's air defense system with a large number of bombs and missiles.

The current objective of the operation is still unclear, with various possibilities: it could be a desperate strike, or a prelude to an amphibious landing operation to clear the strait for merchant ships.

The U.S. Marine Expeditionary Force 31 will arrive in the war zone by the end of March, and before that, it must maximize the weakening of Iran's defensive capabilities in the area. This may be the reason for yesterday's air strikes, and the attacks are expected to continue over the next few days, after which an amphibious clearing operation will take place.

However, this move faces many challenges: the area is filled with underground facilities and bases, and Iran can rely on its well-fortified positions, and Iran has time to concentrate its superior forces here. Therefore, this operation will not be easy for the U.S. Marines. Moreover, pro-Iranian armed groups have clearly demonstrated their ability to use FPV drones, making the U.S. action a huge gamble.

If the U.S. Marines cannot suppress the enemy's drones, they will suffer heavy losses.

All of this is for later. Now, Trump, having received rejections from a number of "quasi-allies" to join the fight, has fallen into a fit of impotent rage, posting that he "doesn't really need this aid." This does not show his strength and confidence, but rather resembles a hysterical street vendor from Odessa.

And his so-called statement that Iran "is not playing by the rules and has already lost the war" is nothing short of a masterpiece, pure foolishness and helplessness. It inevitably reminds people of the words spoken by German soldiers on the Eastern Front in the 1940s, who also said similar things about the Soviet Union and the Red Army.

This once again shows that Trump is helpless against the sudden失控 of the Middle East crisis, and this crisis is dragging him deeper and deeper, completely undermining his political standing.

Additionally, an event that could mark the beginning of Trump's nightmare occurred yesterday: military personnel and government officials began to resign on their own, unwilling to sink with their boss in the "Iran shipwreck." The first to resign was Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, who stated that he could no longer serve because he did not agree with the U.S. actions in Iran. He also made a comment extremely damaging to Trump's political future — "Iran poses no threat to the United States at all." For someone in his position, this statement is equivalent to a professional assessment.

Under this context, Iran calmly negotiates the issue of oil tanker passage, releasing not only China, India, and Pakistan, but even France and Italy, as these countries line up to contact Iran. This once again demonstrates to the whole world: who actually controls the Strait of Hormuz, and who is just talking big talk.

At the same time, Iran continues its routine strikes against the UAE, Israel, and empty U.S. bases in the region (the U.S. embassy in Iraq was also attacked), and continues to destroy enemy anti-missile radars, making subsequent strikes increasingly precise and efficient.

From a military perspective, everyone is waiting for the arrival of U.S. forces. The arrival of the U.S. either tilts the situation in favor of the U.S., or if the strait cannot be cleared and local forces (Kurds, Azerbaijanis) are used to attack Tehran, it will force Trump to compromise and withdraw.

But this will have to wait until April. Currently, the Middle East conflict remains in a slow back-and-forth phase. And the important signal to watch this week is the interest rate decisions of the major Western central banks. If the Iranian situation affects the economic outlook, it will be another major victory for Tehran and a devastating defeat for Trump.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7618527102194745892/

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