The rogue Islamic extremists in Iran are beginning to test President Trump for the first time, according to a report in Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.
“Iranian spokesmen from the ideological camp are taking a more aggressive tone towards the U.S.,” say analysts for the Middle East Media Research Institute.
While it previously cancelled a long-range missile test, Iran now is suggesting it will launch two communications satellites “using long-range missiles,” and it also is “continuing its provocations against American vessels in the Gulf,” MEMRI reported.
“Although these provocations are significantly fewer in number than during the Obama era – only seven so far – their continuation indicates an attempt to test the reaction of the Trump administration,” the report said.
“If to date the Iranian regime has assessed that the Trump administration’s Iran strategy differentiates between the JCPOA – against which it has decided not to act – and Iran’s activity in the region – against which it has promised to take measures – it is now clear that even the latter involves words only at this time that are contradicted by and even surpassed by deeds, such as in the matter of its endorsement of the JCPOA. Also in the matter of the Russian plan it has shifted to supporting it, which means that it has legitimized Iran’s activity in Syria – contrary to all the statements it made previously,” MEMRI said.
“Nevertheless, the Iranian regime is not certain that these are shows of Trump’s and the U.S.’s weakness and submission, because the administration responded strongly – with a focused bombing raid – to the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons. Therefore, they consider that Trump may be marking out his red lines – i.e. he will react to the use of weapons of mass destruction or long-range missiles, but in other areas, such as Iran’s spread through the region by use of its proxies, the administration will, despite its statements, refrain from taking action – and in such cases is even open to Iran ‘pick[ing] up the phone.'”
The analysis said Iran still is concerned about the Trump administration’s reaction to various actions of its own, especially “if Iran continues its direct provocations against the U.S. military.”
“Therefore, it should be assumed that in the short term, Iran will continue testing, by various means including violent provocation, to see whether the gap between the Trump administration’s statements and its actual acts will contract or expand.”
For the rest of this report, and more, please go to Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.
