President Trump has taken a no holds barred with Iran since he took office. Unlike Obama’s actions, Trump’s moves crippled the Iranian economy.
But Trump didn’t stop at the economy. He sanctioned the hit on General Soleimani. In no uncertain terms, President Trump showed Iran that he is serious stopping their marketing of terror.
Not long after the U.S. military dispatched the cocky Iranian general, Iran suffered a catastrophic explosion at one of their nuclear enrichment plants. I suspect Trump’s DNA might be found on the forensics of this explosion. Regardless of how this happened, Iran was put on notice.
Still Iran pushes the envelope, as their country spirals in a financial and political freefall. And that brings us to the latest incident. Unlike the nuclear plant explosion, Trump is clearly responsible.
We’ve learned that the Trump administration seized four private oil tankers. The tankers were in route to Venezuela and in direct violation of the sanctions.
According to reports, an Iranian naval ship escorted a convoy of nine oil vessels. Five of the vessels were owned by Iran, while the other four belonged to other countries. The U.S. government contacted the owners of the four vessels, they informed them that their shipment violates sanctions. The vessels were then rerouted to Houston.
This saga actually played out in July, according to the Wall Street Journal. Federal prosecutors filed a lawsuit in that month to commandeer the vessels. And the seizure represents the first time the Trump administration successfully confiscated cargo from Iran.
The Iranians have resorted to all types of tricks when defying the sanctions, including using the tankers of other countries to escape scrutiny. In 2019, the U.S. attempted to seize an Iranian oil tanker being held in Gibraltar. To no avail.
The U.S recognized the situation this time around.
The current lawsuit filed explained that the oil tankers were part of a scheme to evade U.S. sanctions through the use of shell companies. The subterfuge was meant to mask the shipment’s connection to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
This seizure reinforces the idea that the U.S. has a new boss, and the feckless Obama. No more appeasement to the world’s leading sponsor of terror.
Adding insult to “unhinged” injury, the seizure occurred without the use of military force. And Trump sent a stern reminder to the world that attempting to thwart our sanctions will only get your products seized. Not to mention, I’m sure the president has a few choice words for the heads of state for the countries involved.
So another win for the good guys. And Trump shows the world that he can revive a Wuflu-impacted economy and defeat global terror with one hand behind his back.
