US Politics |OT|

[SvennoJ]

‘The beginning of a long escalation’

David Phillips, a senior adviser at the US State Department during the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations, says he believes Iran will retaliate against US military bases and interests following Trump’s order to attack Iranian nuclear sites.

“Trump had announced a two-week window for diplomacy to work. It seems like the US has jumped the gun and decided to pull the trigger and attack anyhow, risking escalation in the region and counterstrikes against US troops – 40,000 of them nearby,” he told Al Jazeera.

Phillips, currently an academic visitor at Oxford University, said that “the importance of Persian pride” should not be underestimated.

“Now that Iran has been attacked – not only by Israel but by the United States – Iran will look for reprisals, and that largely is going to focus on the US troops in the region, the Red Sea [and] other American assets.”

He also warned this could be the beginning of a long period of escalation. “I don’t think it’s one and done,” Phillips said.


1. They almost had a deal before Netanyahu declared war on Iran
2. There was no (imminent) threat, Iran at least years away from actually making a nuclear bomb and had no intention to according to reports.
3. US entered the war yet failed to hit the Uranium stockpile nor severely damaged Fardow.
4. Now there is imminent threat to US troops and interests.
5. Many other countries will now seek nuclear weapons, NPT has just been blown up by Trump and Netanyahu.