Trump punishes Iran in revenge strike after deal agreement

Just when one thought the conflict in Iran had abated, oil prices traded down, and all was quiet in the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump gave the order to strike Iranian targets on Friday.

This was retaliation for Iranian drone attacks on a Singaporean cargo ship connected to the U.S..The ship sustained damage, but there were no casualties.

Iran had warned that it is dangerous for ships to go through the Strait despite President Trump’s insistence that the vital waterway is now open and that cargo ships had nothing to fear.

U.S. Central Command said yesterday: “The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire.

“Furthermore, Iran’s dangerous behaviour undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor.”

Only last week, an MOU was signed that would see a cessation of the war and ships allowed safe passage for 60 days. President Trump said that If Iran violated the Ceasefire Agreement, he would hit the Islamic country hard.

The President is insisting that Iran give up all its nuclear weapons, dismantle its arsenal and stop uranium enrichment.

For its part, Iran wants a termination of U.S. sanctions and an unfreezing of billions of dollars in assets. It is also insisting that Israel stop strikes on Lebanon and end its occupation of parts of the country.

Will this latest strike take the conflict to another level, or is it simply a minor skirmish that still sees the agreement remain intact?  If Iran fails to comply, will President Trump order boots on the ground and look to occupy Iran and control its oil resources?

“Iran agreed to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and we agreed to a $300 billion reconstruction plan for the country. We don’t expect Iran to violate the agreement,” said a U.S. Government state official.

“If the enemy does not understand the language of logic, we will enter again with the language of power,” said Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.