The US is increasing pressure against Iran, prompting concerns that the ongoing war of words may translate into an armed conflict. Former Reagan administration official Dr Paul Craig Roberts and CIA veteran Philip Giraldi have shared their concerns over the US administration officials' apparent attempt to ignite a clash in the region.
Tensions continue to simmer in the Persian Gulf, with the war of words between Iran and the US heating up.
On 15 May, Iranian Defence Minister Amir Hatami stated that Tehran had “the highest level of defence-military preparedness to confront any type of threat” from the US and Israel. The statement came on the heels of reports of a US military build-up in region.
“The US is putting pressure on Iran by the build-up”, opined Philip Giraldi, a former CIA counter-terrorism specialist and military intelligence officer. “[Donald] Trump believes that it will make Iran submit without any fighting, but Bolton wants an incident of some kind to happen to start a war”.
Thus, the US president tweeted on 15 May that he was sure that Iran “will want to talk soon.”
Still, while Trump has recently denounced The New York Times' report that the US administration was mulling over sending 120,000 troops into the region as “fake news”, Washington has substantially beefed up its military presence in the Middle East.
The Pentagon has deployed B-52 Stratofortress bombers as well as a Patriot missile battery, the Abraham Lincoln Carrier…
