2 great ideas on how to deal with the consequences of the Iran war for Trump to consider

As we enter the fourth week of the Iran war (or “journey”), here are two good ideas about how to deal with some of the consequences – both outside the Beltway.

In fact, in New York.

Another view, unusually, comes from longtime Trump critic and former swamp creature Richard Haass, who is now back in his hometown.

One comes from Wall Street guru Larry Kudlow, Trump’s close friend and former economic adviser.

Both views are incredibly unusual.

In his Substack last week, Haass took a moment from disparaging the president to suggest another way of boots on the ground on the major problem of opening the Strait of Hormuz, where tankers carrying a fifth of oil and liquefied natural gas are being hit by Iran.

Don’t send marines to seize Kharg Island, Iran’s main export port – just close the Strait.

“Open to All or Closed to All” is the preferred option for Haass, a Bush-era veteran and former president of the Manhattan-based Council on Foreign Relations.

A line of defense

That way China and India will be motivated to pressure Iran to open it.

Currently, apart from its ships, these are the only countries that Iran allows to receive oil or gas from this field, and Iran’s biggest customer, China, gets the lion’s share.

Pakistan and Turkey have negotiated a few tankers, but some merchant ships are vulnerable to attacks by Iranian drones, missiles and sea mines, at least 20 strikes on tankers and cargo ships in the Persian Gulf since the war began.

Yet Iran is making more money than ever from its war effort, exporting more oil today than before the war, according to data from ship-tracking firm Kpler, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Much of Iran’s oil goes to China, so blocking Hormuz would focus Beijing’s attention.

Iran’s demonstration on Friday of its ability to fire long-range ballistic missiles that could reach European capitals such as Berlin, Paris, Rome and London should have set the minds of our angry NATO allies on edge.

According to Haass, no boat from Iran would be allowed to reach its destination “until Iran withdraws.” [threatening and attacking]” commercial ships passing through the Strait.

Blocking Iran’s exports would cripple its economy and quickly dismantle its war machine.

“Achieving this objective will require establishing an effective defense line across the Gulf of Oman that is 200 miles wide. Doing so will require ships, aircraft, and drones to closely monitor the outside of the Strait.”

“It will require an aircraft carrier and access to local bases,” Haass said. “Commercial ships that refuse to stand in line will be disabled. Governments that hold title to ships or expect delivery will be notified in advance of the new policy.”

The deadline has been given

The gambit “could bring the world together as it demonstrates a commitment to keeping international waterways open to the benefit of virtually everyone,” Haass said.

“It will not increase the damage and destruction of the war.”

That is higher than the one reportedly considered by the White House to use ground forces to seize Kharg Island in an effort to use Iran to open the Strait.

As global oil prices soar and tap into cash here at home, Trump on Saturday issued a 48-hour deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait or “destroy” Iran’s energy plants.

But after the chaos in Iraq and Afghanistan, Trump voters have no desire to be dipped into one of the boots on the ground in the Middle East. As Haass points out, “major accidents were inevitable [in an invasion of Kharg]and this campaign will also destroy US missiles.”

And NATO supporters who don’t like playing chicken by escorting tanks to Hormuz is a sustainable solution.

The policy of “Open to All or Shut to All” may persuade what we think are our Gulf allies to get off the bench and help in the effort to tame their neighbor.

Another problem facing the wartime president is the Democrats’ obstruction of everything he does, with the current TSA lines being the most prominent example.

A new bill

So, expect them to block the Pentagon’s request for an additional $200 billion from Congress to pay for the war. It will be blocked by many of the same warmongering neocons who have spent the last decade talking about Iran and Russia. But, as the late Democrat John Fetterman said, the only leader his party has now is Trump Derangement Syndrome.

In other words, Republicans have no chance of getting the 60 votes needed in the Senate for a new military spending bill.

Kudlow will help you.

He presented a clean alternative on his Fox Business program on Friday: shorthorn the use of the Pentagon, and the Save America election integrity bill in a new reconciliation bill that requires only 50 votes, and the vice president.

Everything costs money, so with a little thought you can justify putting whatever you like into the Big Good Bill Mark II.

“The brightest minds in Congress must put their heads together and craft a strong reconciliation package that will preserve our military strength and preserve fair voting laws,” he said. “There will be a reduction in spending, waste, fraud and a reduction in abuse, a big place for some rights reforms. Maybe even tax reforms that support economic growth, but the most important issue will be the security of our country, the completion of the mission in Iran and maintaining peace with force.”

These left-field ideas from Kudlow and Haass may attract the president. After all, making art out of intractable problems is Trump’s specialty.