One thing the Iran War has demonstrated is that the overwhelming majority of journalists and commentators on the war are blindingly ignorant of the basics of military operations, they are unacquainted with the staff process, and they are so eaten alive by the all-devouring TDS virus that they have lost the ability to reason when Trump is involved.
The purpose of this post is not to declare victory, but to demonstrate that President Trump is leading a top-shelf strategic team put together by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. He is getting good advice, he’s listening, and he’s making good decisions.
Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported what I think is a blindingly obvious example of how command and staff relationships work and how the commander-in-chief handles those relationships, and tried to portray it as a scandal or an example of recklessness.
Before the U.S. went to war, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told President Trump that an American attack could prompt Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz.
Caine said in several briefings that U.S. officials had long believed Iran would deploy mines, drones and missiles to close the world’s most vital shipping lane, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.
Trump acknowledged the risk, these people said, but moved forward with the most consequential foreign-policy decision of his two presidencies. He told his team that Tehran would likely capitulate before closing the strait—and even if Iran tried, the U.S. military could handle it.
Now, two weeks into the war, Iran’s leaders have refused to back down, and the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as Tehran’s most potent leverage point.