Are you hearing the ticking of a countdown clock?

This post won’t be long. The bare facts pretty much tell the world how concerning this moment is. President Trump has ramped up his language against Iran on social media. It’s no accident. What must be a deliberate lack of clarity has led to concern the US is on a path to war against Iran through its’ support of Israel. For now the Pentagon insists the flow of warships and aircraft to the region is purely a defense measure to protect American interests. But Trump says on his social media “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran.” What does that even mean?? The US would have total control IF and ONLY IF the United States was in command of US aircraft inside Iranian airspace. That means US military pilots receiving orders from American commanders. Total control doesn’t mean just an acknowledgement that the Israelis are using American weapons. And it doesn’t mean US satellites and spy planes keeping watch are able to control the Iranian skies. Trump has also called Iran’s Supreme leader an “easy target” and said the US knows where he is hiding. Perhaps that’s something that shouldn’t be shared with the world? Maybe it makes Iran’s leaders more nervous and they start to move around so they are easier to target, but maybe it causes them to take more dire actions. Disciplined language in national security public statements is vital to avoid catastrophic miscalculation. It can be done while still preserving critical ambiguity to keep adversaries guessing. But its an odd thing. When the Israeli action first started the White House was clear that it wasn’t involved. Now there is credible talk if the US should bomb Iran’s deeply buried nuclear sites that are difficult for Israel to target. The vital question today is if indeed the US involvement grows, then where does it end? Am I the only one today thinking of that very sensible saying “if you break it, you’ve bought it.”