Why Trumps proposed ship escorts will likely never happen
Why Trump’s proposed ship escorts will likely never happen
U.S. President Donald Trump had been talking up the two aircraft carriers he had sent to Iran’s vicinity for days. Back in early February, he claimed he had sent “big, beautiful” equipment to the Persian Gulf specifically to intimidate Tehran and force it to abandon its nuclear and missile programs out of fear of imminent attacks during the new negotiations the two countries had started.
This would have then allowed Trump to attack Iran with ease, knowing the Iranians would be unable to retaliate. Following this, the plan would shift to the fragmentation and breaking up of Iran. He would inject separatists stationed in neighboring countries into Iran to incite chaos, terrorism, insecurity, and a perpetual civil war. With all that in place, he would then be free to begin plundering Iranian oil, gas, and other natural resources, and reassure the Israelis that they could proceed with their “greater Israel” project.
When Iran refused to yield to all his demands during negotiations, Trump decided to attack the country and assassinate its Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, thinking that the remaining officials would submit out of fear. However, this strategy also failed.
Iran began striking U.S. bases across the region, creating a situation Washington had never before encountered. Furthermore, it has been pounding Israel, causing U.S.-Israeli interceptors to deplete their capacity, according to multiple reports by American media. Iran has simultaneously closed the Strait of Hormuz, causing global energy prices to sour. Following just four days of the Strait of Hormuz’s closure, U.S. gas prices had already risen to $3.20 and are projected to continue climbing in the coming days.
Trump is powerless to counteract the situation regarding U.S. bases that are under constant Iranian assault. For now, he has resorted to censorship, refusing to disclose the extent of the damage or the actual number of U.S. casualties.
While he attempts to devise a solution to prevent the consequences of the destruction of U.S. bases from damaging him in the future, the repercussions of the Strait of Hormuz closure are already catching up to him. He campaigned to become the U.S. president who would “make America affordable again,” and now gas prices are poised to become the most expensive they have been in several decades.
To attempt some damage control, Trump took to social media on Tuesday to claim he had found a solution to halt the rising gas prices. He stated the U.S. Navy would escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz “if necessary.”
But can he truly accomplish this? The almost certain answer is no.
The statistical estimate for the number of warships the U.S. Navy could initially deploy for dedicated escort duties near the Strait of Hormuz is approximately eight vessels.
This initial deployment package is estimated to consist of six primary combatants, one amphibious warship, and one attack submarine.
Some reports suggest the U.S. can only spare three vessels at the moment. Before the closure, at least 60 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily.
This assumes that Americans would even dare to enter the region to provide escorts. The two aircraft carriers Trump had threatened Iran with are currently nowhere in sight. One of them departed the region before the conflict even began, and the other fled after Iran fired missiles at it on Monday.
The entire world recognizes that Trump is bluffing about the possibility of escorting the ships, much like he lied about his commitment to diplomacy. This is precisely why energy markets have not reacted to his comments, and prices continue to climb.
source: tehrantimes.com