The evolution of the US-Iran confrontation gets more complex by the day, a matter of smoke and mirrors with multiple accusations and uncertainties, and domestic politics constantly driving international actions.
For Trump, the current complication is that his Acting Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, has suddenly withdrawn his application for the permanent job because of family issues dating back some years. Not only does this leave a leadership vacuum at the top of the Pentagon but Trump’s intended replacement for Shanahan, army secretary Mark Esper, leaves a gap in the army job only a month after the air force secretary, Heather Wilson, herself stepped down.
In spite of this uncertainty, the military rhetoric coming out of Washington is growing tougher. Much is being made of the air force and navy firepower being moved towards the Gulf just as the White House insists that Iran has been responsible for the recent attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
