Analysis: Trumpâs new red line could set the Iran war on a fateful course | CNN Politics
On Friday, President Donald Trump said he was considering âwinding downâ his war with Iran. But a day later, he threatened to âobliterateâ the countryâs power plants in an escalation that could further tip the conflict out of control. Erratic messaging on a war entering its fourth week is becoming a pattern. Trump previously demanded allies send ships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz â a vital oil export choke point. When they demurred, he said he didnât want help and branded them cowards for not joining a war they opposed. And before he demanded that Iran reopen the strait within 48 hours or face an onslaught on its power plants, he insisted that at some point it would âopen itself.â The whiplash underscores the vital importance of the strait and the impact of a closure that has stranded scores of oil tankers, created an energy price crisis and threatened to nudge the global economy into a recession that could harm millions of people. But Trump has reached a moment when rhetorical confusion and contradictory threats cannot obscure the consequences of his choices. He may be about to test whether escalating the conflict can somehow point to a way out or will worsen t
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