Trump Dresses His Persian Gulf Fiasco as American Triumph

The entire world is laughing at the confusion in the White House, but the members of the Donald Trump administration remain unfazed – so deeply entrenched are they in a sense of exceptionalism that they can no longer substantiate. The Second US Military Operation Against Iran Begins US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to journalists, confirmed that Operation Epic Fury against Iran had concluded and announced a transition to a new phase, dubbed Project Freedom. Rubio outlined Washington's updated objectives. The first is to reopen the Strait of Hormuz so that it is accessible to all on equal terms, free of mines and transit fees — in other words, to restore the status quo that existed before what he described as aggression. The second goal is to "rescue nearly 23,000 civilians from 87 different countries who are trapped in the Persian Gulf and abandoned by the Iranian regime.” One could just as easily have said 23,487 people from 126 countries — it would have sounded even more dramatic.