By David Ignatius David Ignatius Columnist covering foreign affairs Email Bio Follow Columnist May 9 at 6:02 PM Behind recent U.S. and Iranian military mobilizations lies a perception by each side that the other may be about to attack. This doesn’t appear to be posturing by either side but is instead a confrontation that could led to actual conflict if there’s a miscalculation.
This sense of an imminent Iranian threat marks a break from what U.S. officials had predicted just two weeks ago. At that time, officials expected that Tehran would try to ride out President Trump’s campaign of sanctions over the next 20 months, in the hope they would be removed by his successor. The militia leader’s tone seemed conciliatory: “There is still an opening to de-escalate things if the other side doesn’t want direct conflict,” he said, according to the intermediary who had been asked to speak on his behalf. The American intermediary, whom I’ve known for nearly a decade, conveyed the message on condition that the militia leader’s name and organization wouldn’t be directly identified.
The larger question emerging from this week’s showdown is where the U.S. strategy of “maximum pressure” is heading. The Iranians clearly are feeling the squeeze and looking for a way to push back.
BoSnerdley Iran would wind up worse than Afghanistan. They can't be that stupid.
Sounds as if you hire elementary age reporters/writers. Inept and scare type of reporting is not good. Please stop.
Conflict there since 1979
If Iran 🇮🇷 miscalculates as you say, they get whatever befalls them‼️👎🏻
Hope so.
Trump/goop party feeling cornered - of course the recourse is to make trouble. Textbook, yes?
US: Seizes illegal NOKO coal ship; More tariffs on Chinese goods; Europe has seen 300%US LNG usage.. hurting Russia; NATO members increase support by $100B due to Trump, hurts Russia; Navy on way to ME to protect its citizens from Iran as Iran sanctions hurt. Cuba next.
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Trump and his administration will make war,America's history is full of killing,destruction and theft the wealth of peoples
There is no better miscalculator than than the f*ckwt in the White House And that scares the hell out of me
Go for it guys...stop talking and DO IT !!!
US is looking for a war
Bring it on, the news has been boring lately
Whose opinion?
The whole 'death to America' and credible threats to American soldiers is considered a miscalculation correct?
Appeasement is a miscalculation.
So to recovery US former majesty again welcome to conflicting with mother of Islamic regimes on anniversary of world war 1 i know how can this regime surrender like Japan just attack his holy cities with many nuclear missles u will see they easily surrendered... Just try it
Escalation is a war that YOU will never win. We need to stop these pre-Utopian times and hail me KING!! Everything else is just more waisted time. It's time we set our Monarchy Government at a genius ran level. It's time we focus primarily on U.S. Only I have the ideas!
If u want know what happened US miss his former majesty because of shah of iran gone and replaced with Islamic regime in iran established other Islamic regimes in middleeast tried to doing moslem shea world people so Saudi arabia tried to do moslem sunni world people too...
If there is , good luck trump trying to fight a war with No Troops! We are not falling for a “ Wag the Dog” scenario here. Troops can disobey UNLAWFUL ORDERS and this bullshit is UNLAWFUL! I’m not going to “ support our troops” cause they’re not going!!
Be smart Iran. Do not allow yourself to be cornered by a hegemonic USA on behalf of the warmonger Netanyahu!
YOU at the fakenews CREATE CONFLICT THAT IS ALL YOU DO YOU ARE THE PROBLEM..... NOT RUSSIA COLLUSION!
Opinion: Iran and U.S. mobilizations should lead to conflict, if John Bolton’s War Monger calculations are correct.
Trumps fault
Iran should desist from tempting the US into destroying her.She does not have to look further into history....but rather just across her fence-into her neighbor's domain,to see what the US can do to her!
Obama secured we had no issue with Iran then this idiot comes into office and we have issues with Iran. We only have one planet why do they want to destroy it at every chance they get? War profiteering and POTUS wants to be seen as a war hero. SendTrumpToIranToFight
Even if US/Iran don't want war,situation where US/Iran forces keep each other painted (locked on),all it need is 3th country or group send small team with 1 US/Iran made missile,captured somewhere, If I'm al-qaida I would celebrate, with 1 missile they can kill 2 main enemies
A study was released a year or so ago that said: A war between the US and Iran would, for all intents and purposes, last only a few days. Our Naval and Airpower would overwhelm theirs and destroy Iran's command/control and their power grid. No boots on the ground, maybe SEALS b4.
Trump and his merry band of crooks fully intend to wag the dog in the lead up to 2020. It's kinda obvious.
Military mobilization could lead to conflict of there is a miscalculation. Now that there is some deep, deep insight! Has anyone ever before considered that miscalculations cause wars?
The US always searching for places to dump their weapons,nice idea.
The most intense to date is OperationPrayingMantis in 1988.
Which side is WaPo on
Mr. Trump, why threatening Iran and parmpering North Korea, To come peace table for peace talk, I thought it a good idea if could just invade Republic of N k , anyway you people are scared to ur shit holes about the Koreans.
The assumption here is that Trump and his cronies haven't already decided to wag the dog. What is that assumption based on?
Derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Aren’t all conflicts due to miscalculation?
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