Iran in Trump's crosshairs

Ever since his victory in the presidential elections, the media has focused much of its attention on the courses of actions Donald Trump would likely take on Iran, in particular in regard to the controversial nuclear deal. Former U.S. President Barack Obama in effect gave up after signing the deal and left Iran to do as it pleased in the Middle East, encouraging terrorism and subversion and advancing its status on the backs of Washington's allies.

There were those who thought Trump would suffice with tweets on Twitter and statements to the media, since it is difficult to violate or nullify an international agreement that continues to enjoy the support of a majority of European countries, as well as Russia and China. But Trump seems to have concluded that feeble protest is an inadequate response, that red lines must be drawn anew and that the United States must respond firmly and decisively whenever Iran tries to cross them.

And so, one week after entering the White House, Trump has imposed new sanctions on Iran that will severely damage its stagnant economy and even deployed a warship off the coast of Yemen, a country the Iranians are working to add to their circle of influence. If Trump's tweets are any indication, these steps are only the beginning. As he said, "Iran is playing with fire -- they don't appreciate how 'kind' President Obama was to them. Not me!" and therefore, as he said at a press conference, "Nothing's off the table" when it comes to a U.S. response to Iran.

It is not Trump that is looking for a confrontation, but Tehran, which tried to test him and present him with faits accomplis. About a week ago, the Iranians tested a ballistic missile with a 3,000-kilometer (1,900-mile) range, capable of reaching Europe. Tehran claimed the test was not a breach of the nuclear deal it signed two years ago, since the missile is not meant to carry nuclear weapons. But this claim is clearly disingenuous and certainly a violation of the spirit of the deal. It is also clear that it was not just the ballistic missile in development that the Iranians were testing -- a test that failed miserably, since the missile exploded midair -- but also the new U.S. president. It turns out they were mistaken in their assessment of Trump's response.

The president has since taken off the gloves and announced that Iran has officially been "put on notice" and that additional steps against the Islamic Republic will be forthcoming. One can assume his administration will refrain from touching the nuclear deal. Although Trump might believe it to be a "terrible" deal, he realizes it is still a done deal, due to the positions of the countries that authorized its implementation. Trump might focus instead on efforts to block Iran's path to imposing its influence across the Middle East, in Iraq and Yemen, for example, and punish Iran for its attempts to undermine regional stability and sabotage U.S. interests and the interests of Washington's allies. This is no simple task, but even the longest journey starts with a small step.

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