World News: Trump Reactivates Sanctions Against Iran

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Category: World News

Published on Sunday, 20 September 2020 18:43

Written by Olivier Longhi

The unilateral decision of the United States to reactivate the UN gasoline sanctions against Iran is part of the sensationalist and provocative policy of Donald Trump. But does not the coup de brilliance reveal a weakness in the speech of the current president?

Without wanting to fall into easy triviality, it seems, a few weeks before the presidential election and slightly exceeded in the polls by his Democratic competitor Joe Biden, that Donald Trump is trying to save the furniture of an ending presidency.

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The latest coup is the unilateral decision of the United States to reactivate the sanctions decided by the United Nations against the Islamic Republic of Iran (Lemonde.fr:). The announcement, which is not based on any legal basis, was also quickly contradicted by the United Kingdom, France and Germany who together underlined the futility of the measure.

So why did Donald Trump, through the voice of Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State, make such an announcement?

Nationalism and Convictions

The answer seems both simple and complex, at least in its consequences. Simple because President Trump knows that every coup, whether unnecessary or doomed to failure, will satisfy, and engulf an electorate, here his, fond of sensationalism ready to flatter North American nationalism.

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Still anchored in his 2016 campaign slogan, Make America Great Again, and convinced of both the formula and its content, Donald Trump, as a wise businessman aware of the effects of well-paced communication, knows that this type of announcement is capable of re-mobilizing an electorate in need of convictions or certainties as to the president's capacities to assume a second term.

But complex because venturing into the field of foreign policy, particularly the issue of Iranian nuclear power, involves not only the United States but also European and international partners. The Iranian question which has haunted the White House since 1979 will certainly not be able to be resolved with cavalier or hot-tempered announcements like this one.

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However, if this announcement may denote a form of ignorance of the twists and turns of the Iranian problem, it only has the facade because diplomats and North American experts perfectly master the problem.

Weariness and Weighting

But the art of provocation and bravado are an integral part of the policy of Donald Trump who has accustomed his national and international audience to this type always media outlet.

Accustomed, of course, but also at the risk of getting bored, because the policy of tweeting or declaring cookie-cutter involves risks that the November 3, 2020 election could highlight.

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And a more detailed analysis of returning the said declaration to be melted into an electoral speech which, against a background of covid-19, disrupted campaign meetings, economic difficulties and unfavorable polls to date (see realclearpolitics.com), hardly seduce an American people perhaps anxious to entrust the reins of the country to a more balanced president.

Ultimately, simple or complex, the reason that prompted Donald Trump to launch such a declaration perhaps reflects a presidency at the end of the race, a candidate aware of the weaknesses of his candidacy and his record. But an election has never been played, Donald Trump's provocative bet may pay off ... or not.

Bio: Olivier Longhi has extensive experience in European history. A seasoned journalist with fifteen years of experience, he is currently professor of history and geography in the Toulouse region of France. He has held a variety of publishing positions, including Head of Agency and Chief of Publishing. A journalist, recognized blogger, editor and editorial project manager, he has trained and managed editorial teams, worked as a journalist for various local radio stations, a press and publishing consultant, and a communications consultant.