What is Trump’s Iran Strategy?

The question arises from a WSJ article that talked about President Donald Trump’s (R) Truth Social post and instructions to Vice President JD Vance (R) to leave off negotiating with Iran and focus his attention on investigating corruption in Progressive-Democrat-run cities.

Trump’s announcement jumbles his current Iran strategy, which has already changed course several times since first launching the war in February. In recent days, he was considering three options: resuming airstrikes, maintaining the blockade on Iranian trade, or making a deal. He chose to tighten the blockade while allowing Vance to pursue an agreement to end the war.
But the president, who has claimed victory against Iran many times, for now seems willing to continue the military operation indefinitely without a diplomatic process in place.

No, Trump most assuredly has not changed course. He’s been steadfast in his goal of denying Iran the capability of obtaining nuclear weapons and, since Iran introduced the matter, reopening and keeping open the Strait of Hormuz. His strategy for achieving these ends has been constant, as well—physical denial of Iran’s ability to effect either nuclear weapons development or closing the Strait and economic denial of its ability to fund recovery of the wherewithal to regain either capability. What has been frangible, as is necessary with any conflict, whether kinetic, economic, or political has been his tactics for executing his strategy. Of course, he’s not going to telegraph those to our enemy, which he would be doing were he to explain his tactics to the press, which that enemy diligently reads.

In fine, Trump has a very clear strategy vis-à-vis Iran. It’s typical pressmen’s hubris that they conclusorily claim that their interpretation of his strategy actually is his strategy. This “confusion” is demonstrated by the present news writer’s “confusion.”

Do as I Say

Progressive-Democrat Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa is wasting no time covering her iron fist with a velvet “conciliatory” glove. She spent her campaign bashing Elon Musk and his SpaceX company while campaigning.

Now she’s insisting that she can work with him and his businesses—so long as they operate on our terms.

We can have a strong working relationship with Elon Musk and his companies.
But it has to be on our terms.

Her terms include deals already nearly concluded for land purchases and swaps (Musk was trading 477 acres for 47 in one such deal), deals Hinojosa wants undone for no better reason than that the Progressive-Democrats are now in power, and she doesn’t like what Republican administrations in Austin had agreed with Musk and that were done under free market imperatives rather than Progressive-Democrat imperatives.

This isn’t government requiring businesses to operate within law’s boundaries. This is government dictating to a particular business how it must behave in order to be allowed to operate at all.

This is what Texans and Americans generally can expect from Progressive-Democrat rule for at least the next two years.