What is the right way to deal with the Iranian crisis right now?

[Razgovory]

Honest question:  What should the US do about the current crisis with Iran?  Not what should have been done in the past that might have adverted the current situation, but what can be done with the cards on the table at this moment.  I honestly don't know (of course nobody pays me to know these sort of things so I'm personally in the clear on this one).  The best I can come up with is to create a coalition of naval forces to protect all shipping in the Gulf.  Unfortunately that doesn't really solve the problem.  The Iranians appear to be testing the boundaries believing that Trump will capitulate like he did with the North Koreans.  There is good reason to believe that he will do so, but it's a dangerous game and eventually the Iranians are going to hit a hard wall.  If not from the US then from the Saudis and the Emirates.

Maybe follow around Iranian military, para-military, and civilian shipping in the area to stress that we are watching them?  That sort of harassment is dangerous on it's own.  We probably don't want to be in a situation where the US military shoots down another civilian airliner.  Also I imagine the Iranians have some sort of plan in place if the US dusts it's 1980's play book.

[Admiral Yi]

Nothing.  Let it die with the news cycle.

[Camerus]

Slap on a few more sanctions and call it a day.

[saskganesh]

Don't define it as a crisis. Do not escalate.

[dps]

As far as the drone thing goes, just ignore it.  Doesn't really matter what the thing cost--it's an unmanned recon drone.

As for the tankers, I think we need clearer information about what actually happened to decide what would be an appropriate response.

OTOH, I'm all for glassing over the place for past provocations, so just blowing the whole country up is fine with me.

[Razgovory]

Nothing.  Let it die with the news cycle.

I think that might have been the plan last month when they damaged some ships with mines and shot at a drone.

[Josquius]

Nothing.  Let it die with the news cycle.

I think that might have been the plan last month when they damaged some ships with mines and shot at a drone.

Did I miss something? Isn't that where we still are except for trump saying he nearly attacked but cancelled at the last minute?

I agree with Yi.
Iran doesn't want a war. America doesn't want a war. Why have a war.

[Sophie Scholl]

I think there are definitely Americans who want a war.  There are definitely Americans who have pull in making policy who want a war.  Trump, despite all of his faults, is not one of them in my opinion.  If he can avoid talking to the hawks, we might actually be able to dodge the manufactured crisis.  I certainly hope so.  As to how to get rid of it?  Rejoin the Treaty we dropped out of and make Trump think it is different or let him slap his name on it instead of Obama.

[Razgovory]

Did I miss something?

Probably.

[The Minsky Moment]

I think there are definitely Americans who want a war.  There are definitely Americans who have pull in making policy who want a war. 

Let's put specifics on the matter.  The Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor want "regime change."  That's a dangerous and powerful bloc to be on the hunt for a Farsi variant on the Gulf of Tonkin.

[The Brain]

I think there are definitely Americans who want a war.  There are definitely Americans who have pull in making policy who want a war. 

Let's put specifics on the matter.  The Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor want "regime change." 

Do they have a friendly strongman selected?

[Zanza]

I think there are definitely Americans who want a war.  There are definitely Americans who have pull in making policy who want a war. 

Let's put specifics on the matter.  The Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor want "regime change."  That's a dangerous and powerful bloc to be on the hunt for a Farsi variant on the Gulf of Tonkin.

I wonder how they want to get a regime change. The military operation to do that would surely be beyond American political willpower...

[viper37]

Honest question:  What should the US do about the current crisis with Iran?  Not what should have been done in the past that might have adverted the current situation, but what can be done with the cards on the table at this moment.  I honestly don't know (of course nobody pays me to know these sort of things so I'm personally in the clear on this one).  The best I can come up with is to create a coalition of naval forces to protect all shipping in the Gulf.  Unfortunately that doesn't really solve the problem.  The Iranians appear to be testing the boundaries believing that Trump will capitulate like he did with the North Koreans.  There is good reason to believe that he will do so, but it's a dangerous game and eventually the Iranians are going to hit a hard wall.  If not from the US then from the Saudis and the Emirates.

Maybe follow around Iranian military, para-military, and civilian shipping in the area to stress that we are watching them?  That sort of harassment is dangerous on it's own.  We probably don't want to be in a situation where the US military shoots down another civilian airliner.  Also I imagine the Iranians have some sort of plan in place if the US dusts it's 1980's play book.

there was no crisis before Trump took office.  I'd say remove Trump from office and slowly de-escalate things.

[viper37]

I think there are definitely Americans who want a war.  There are definitely Americans who have pull in making policy who want a war. 

Let's put specifics on the matter.  The Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor want "regime change."  That's a dangerous and powerful bloc to be on the hunt for a Farsi variant on the Gulf of Tonkin.

I wonder how they want to get a regime change. The military operation to do that would surely be beyond American political willpower...

Not if all opponents are jailed as traitors.

[Camerus]

I think there are definitely Americans who want a war.  There are definitely Americans who have pull in making policy who want a war. 

Let's put specifics on the matter.  The Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor want "regime change."  That's a dangerous and powerful bloc to be on the hunt for a Farsi variant on the Gulf of Tonkin.

I wonder how they want to get a regime change. The military operation to do that would surely be beyond American political willpower...

I think it's clear that the neocons live in a fantasy world where Iraq never happened.

This is one issue where I hope Trump's isolationist instincts will prevail over advice from (that faction of) his advisors.