Iranian diplomats can promise one thing, but the country’s revolutionary defenders can counter with a punch of their own. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) evidently disagreed with the country’s announced “open” policy for the Strait of Hormuz and today fired upon a vessel trying to take advantage of the sea passage’s new openness.
The IRGC put out the word that the strait will remain closed so long as there is a U.S. naval blockage. Ouch!
In one fell swoop, or blow, the IRGC in essence just put U.S. policy in another “strait”-jacket. The country also announced that President Trump’s announced plans for returning to the bargaining table are nowhere on the nation’s upcoming agenda.
Trump’s very good Friday is thus now a very bad Saturday. “They wanted to close up the strait again … as they’ve been doing for years,” Trump told reporters on Saturday morning at the White House. “They can’t blackmail us.”
The ever-glossing-over-the-truth Trump then went on to say that chances for a deal remained “very good.”
Tell that to the IRGC, Mr. President.
[PICTURED: A scene from an Iranian Lego cartoon showing IRGC boats attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz]
