Trump makes new threat to take the U.S. to war for Israel again
Scott Ritter, the former UN weapons inspector, said in an interview on Tuesday that it looks like another war between the U.S. and Iran is likely, and hypothetically said if he were a decision-maker in Tehran, the USS Abraham Lincoln would “already be sunk” after the recent rhetoric from the Trump administration and Israel.
“If I were the decision-maker in Iran, the Abraham Lincoln would already be sunk, American bases would be destroyed, Israel would be eliminated, and I’d be carrying out massive operations against the Kurds in Iraq” and other enemy groups in the region, he told Glenn Diesen’s podcast.
“I would be sending assassination teams around the world to kill the Shah’s son, I’d be killing everybody. But that’s just me. I’m not Iranian…I’m just a blood-thirsty son-of-a-bitch who doesn’t believe in standing by and getting hit in the face first,” he said.
He said the Iranians, unfortunately for them, are “civilized,” and I believe their government holds out hope that war could be avoided.
President Donald Trump posted another threat to Iran on social media on Wednesday and warned that if it does not make a deal, it will be confronted by the U.S. armada headed to the region with “great power, enthusiasm, and purpose.”
“Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence! As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again,” he posted.
Trump is no longer pretending that he is defending Iranian protesters from a government crackdown and is back to selling the so-called Iranian nuclear threat to try to justify a new war against the country.
Even The New York Times wrote: “Notably absent from those demands — and from Mr. Trump’s post on Truth Social on Wednesday morning — was any reference to protecting the protesters who took to the streets in Iran in December, convulsing the country and creating the latest crisis for its government.”
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s top diplomat, posted on X: Our brave Armed Forces are prepared—with their fingers on the trigger—to immediately and powerfully respond to ANY aggression against our beloved land, air, and sea. The valuable lessons learned from the 12-Day War have enabled us to respond even more strongly, rapidly, and profoundly. At the same time, Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable NUCLEAR DEAL—on equal footing, and free from coercion, threats, and intimidation—which ensures Iran’s rights to PEACEFUL nuclear technology, and guarantees NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS. Such weapons have no place in our security calculations and we have NEVER sought to acquire them.
Ritter was asked if the U.S. is headed to war, and he responded: “It certainly looks that way.”
Ritter called Iran the “king” of the region, capable of destroying energy output and inflicting harm on American military bases. He said a major war could result in thousands of servicemen dead, and the possible loss of the USS Abraham Lincoln. He said Iran has the capability of inflicting near-fatal damage on Israel.
Ritter cited news reports that said Israel informed the U.S. that it would be able to defend itself against 700 Iranian missiles, as long as there is a regime change in Tehran, but he said the U.S. does not have what it takes to dismantle the government, “especially now that you’ve literally broadcast your punch.”
He said another war with Iran would not be like the 12-day war in June that started with a sneak attack by Israel after Trump tried to pretend he was interested in diplomacy. He said Iran has been preparing for this war for decades.
“Even if the United States came in with nuclear weapons, and I don’t see them doing that, they’re not going to eliminate the Iranian regime,” Ritter said. He continued, “And what’s going to happen is that Iran is going to deliver a knockout punch against Israel.”
Ritter said the goal of Israel is to see Iran fractured.
“The Israelis don’t care about the Iranian people; the Americans don’t care about the Iranian people. All they care about is getting rid of the Ayatollah regime,” he said.
He said there is no reason for the U.S. and Israel to be pushing for regime change at this time, except that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs this for his political survival.
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