Trump Not Planning to Attack Iran Right Now

Says attack would be 'very easy decision' but he wants restraint

While touting his announcement of new sanctions against Iran, President Trump indicated that he does not intend to attack Iran just now, even though it “would be a very easy decision” and most people expected him to do so.

Instead, Trump credited himself, saying “I think I’m showing great restraint,” and that there is still “plenty of time” for potential Iran conflicts, adding they’ll be “very sorry” at some point in the future.

That said, Trump’s aversion to starting a war immediately doesn’t seem to be too deeply held of a conviction, as he even playfully told reporters that “I could do it right here, in front of you. And that will be it,” with US forces just waiting for the order.

The immediate US move is new sanctions and new deployments of troops into Saudi Arabia to defend oil resources. Yet that includes adding more military assets into the area, and with Trump not ruling out a war decision in the future, the deployments seem just another step in the direction of war.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.