President Donald Trump has just announced 'Project Freedom' -- a U.S. Navy mission to escort commercial tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. The official line is that this is a humanitarian gesture to keep global oil flowing. I see it for what it really is: a reckless provocation designed to force Iran into a military response, giving Washington the excuse it needs for a wider war. And our own sailors are being used as bait.
Trump rejected Iran's latest 14-point peace proposal on May 3, calling it unacceptable, and then ordered the Navy to start guiding ships out of Hormuz. The Iranians had offered to reopen the strait within 30 days in exchange for an end to hostilities and later talks on nuclear enrichment. Instead of seizing a diplomatic off-ramp, Trump chose escalation.
It looks to me like the goal is simple: put American warships in harm's way, hope for a clash, and then use the resulting casualties to justify a full-scale ground war without congressional approval.
Prepare for escalation.