Not magic

Don Surber writes in his blog a wonderful tribute to President Trump. Here is one paragraph.

History is large. We are small. President Trump made history this week by killing General قاسم سلیمانی and with him Iran's hopes of dominating the Middle East. This is not magic. It is hard work and knowledge of the situation.

Read more here.

Trump to Iran's Mullahs: Next time you won't be so lucky!

Bookworm writes,

...With the events of the past 24 hours, Trump just sent a clear message to the Mullahs: “If it were entirely up to me, the mad dog, any time you cross me in any way, you will die. This time, you got lucky because my advisers were just barely able to hold on to my leash; next time, I guarantee you, you won’t be so lucky.” If that is indeed the message Trump sent and the Mullahs received, it’s a good disincentive for calculating killers who, like so many of the men on death row, are happy meting out death to others but are incredible cowards when they are called to face the Grim Reaper.

Meanwhile, Scott Adams saw an even more brilliant spin to Trump’s conduct over the last 24 hours. (You can hear what he has to say here.) My potted summary is that (a) the U.S. was probing Iran’s defenses and a single drone, no matter how expensive, was a small price to pay for that information; (b) Trump forced the Mullahs to imagine their own deaths (which is kind of the same point I was making); and (c) by saying that the deaths of 150 civilians was what dissuaded Trump from acting this time, Trump sent the message to ordinary Iranians that he cares more about their lives than their own rulers do. Combine that with the crushing economic pressure Trump has placed on Iran since he jettisoned Obama’s awful agreement, and you’ve got the Mullahs thinking very carefully about what to do next.

Read more here.

Trump's side of the story

Trump means business with regard to Iran

Adam Kredo reports at the Washington Free Beacon,

Congress and the Trump administration are issuing a stern warning to European partners: End all business ties with the Iranian regime or face harsh new sanctions in the coming months, a move that could impact international financial markets and U.S. banks tied to foreign monetary institutions, according to multiple senior U.S. officials who spoke to the Washington Free Beacon about diplomatic efforts to pressure Europe on Iran.

The Trump administration and many in Congress have been working in tandem to pressure European partners over their ongoing financial ties to Iran ahead of efforts by the United States to fully reinstate harsh sanctions on Iran, including on its lucrative oil sector and banking systems, U.S. officials said.

Key European partners have expressed opposition to the new U.S. sanctions in recent months and have held a series of meetings with senior Iranian officials to discuss tactics for evading the new American sanctions, which follow on the heels on President Donald Trump's decision to abandon the landmark nuclear deal.

...Diplomatic tensions over the new sanctions have heightened ahead of November, when the Trump administration expects to fully reinstate sanctions on Iran that could cripple its business ties to Europe and further strain the regime's cash reserves.

Iranian officials have responded to the sanctions with threats of violence, including a possible military blockade of critical shipping routes in the Persian Gulf that has stoked fears of a potential war in the region. Top Israeli officials declared on Thursday that they would respond militarily should Iran take such actions.

Senior U.S. officials leading the efforts to pressure European partners over their business ties with Iran told the Free Beacon the Trump administration will not hesitate to sanction those who violate the new sanctions, warning that international banking institutions and even top U.S. banks could be hit with sanctions for not complying.

Read more here.

Trump watching Iranian events closely

Adam Kredo reports at the Washington Free Beacon,

The Trump administration is keeping a close eye on the growing protests in Iran, with senior administration officials working to ensure President Donald Trump does not miss an opportunity to incubate a possible revolution that could topple Iran's hardline ruling regime, according to White House officials who spoke to the Washington Free Beacon.

Read more here.