US President Donald Trump is supposed the leader of the rules-based order. Yet, he is very fast making a reputation as the leader of jack-boot negotiations.
He kidnapped the President of Venuzuela Nicolás Maduro in order to take control of that country’s vast oil reserves. He is currently starving Cuba by blocking any supplies from getting to the island as he attempts to achieve regime change in that country.
Now he is increasing deployment of military aircraft to the Middle East despite ongoing talks with Iran.
He confirmed his jack-boot approach after the end of Friday’s negotiations.
“I’m not happy with the fact that they’re not willing to give us what we have to have. I’m not thrilled with that. We’ll see what happens. We’re talking later. We will have some additional talks today,” Trump told the reporters before leaving for a trip to the state of Texas.
His remarks came a day after the third round of indirect negotiations between the delegations of the US and Iran concluded in Geneva, Switzerland.
“It would be wonderful if they’d negotiate in good faith and good conscience, but they are not getting there. So far, they’re not getting there,” he said.
Trump is using the show of military force to ensure that Iran capitulates and gives in to his demands – and those of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has historically use the US to attack countries he perceives to be a risk to Israel.
Currently more than 330 US military aircraft are positioned in the region, a rise of about 10 percent in two days, mainly spread across Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The buildup includes carrier air wings 8 and 9 aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carriers.
In the past two days, an additional 40 C-17 and C-5 logistics flights arrived in the area under US Central Command (CENTCOM), bringing the total to an estimated 310 flights since early January to assemble the air force, alongside Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile defense systems.
On Tuesday, Israel received 11 US F-22 “Raptor” stealth fighters, the most advanced in the US arsenal, that could be used for “penetrating enemy territory and disabling air defense systems and radar installations,” according to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN.
The 13 F-22s stationed at RAF Lakenheath are expected to join the 11 already deployed to Ovda Air Base in southern Israel. More than a dozen KC-46 tanker aircraft have also been tracked arriving at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
Israel’s air force includes 66 F-15I/C/D, 173 F-16I/C/D and 48 F-35 fighter jets, effectively doubling the airpower available for any potential strike scenario involving Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said after the talks that Tehran and Washington had “moved closer to agreement” on some issues and that seriousness was evident on both sides. -AA and ONN reporter