To fear an Iran-US war

[user764329056]

Or will the threats be quashed, similar to the North Korea situation?

He hasn't declared war yet

I realise that but wonder if that is where it is heading, feels volatile

I am in the US and it feels volatile here, too. There is no telling what Trump will try to do!! I feel like I am living in a foreign country; one that has a dictator. I do not recognize this country any more.

I'm just resurrecting this thread...

What are your thoughts on the whole tanker situation?

I'm very cynical about it - what Iran wants is to build its own nuclear capabilities largely to defend itself against attacks. Its leaders are convinced that the US will try to overthrow them as they have done in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.

I can completely understand why we, in the West, don't want Iran to have nuclear capability but they are on the defensive not the attack.

It makes no logical sense for them to have carried out this attack on the tankers - what would there motivation be? They've gained nothing from it.

Why would they want to give the US the excuse to attack them?

I'm absolutely not a conspiracy theorist at all - but this time I genuinely think Trump wants a reason to escalate the Iran situation.

I just see this unfolding like Iraq - a war built on lies that we get embroiled in and, if so, there will be a lot more casualties IMO.

Look up the USS Liberty ...there was a plan to take out seven Muslim countries in five years. This was part of that crazy plan as was WW2 actually. We're the cannon fodder.

The papers are reporting that we're sending 100 marines out to the area...

...and so it begins...

Iran has always maintained that if US sanctions stop Iran from selling its oil, then they will make sure that none of the other Gulf nations can export their oil either. These tanker attacks are a way of signalling that Iran has contol over the Straits and therefore, control over the export of oil in the region.

They don't want all-out war, so they officially deny the attacks, but they are certainly threatening Saudi/US.

it is very insular to view Iran as acting defensively. In the Middle East, they are acting very aggressively - look at their involvement in Syria and control over Hizbollah. I’m not saying that Trump’s approach to dealing with them is correct, but I think you’re misunderstanding Iran...