These are indeed busy times for President Trump and his team as they make big moves on the international stage. The administration is keeping a close eye on oil tankers and making it clear that they mean business. Just recently, they seized another oil tanker in South America, flexing their muscles and sending a strong message to Venezuela. Frankly, it’s like watching a thrilling action movie, except this is real life with real consequences.
The tanker, flying under the Panamanian flag, was nabbed by the U.S. Coast Guard with support from the Department of War. It sounds like quite the operation, complete with helicopters landing on deck – perhaps a little bit of Top Gun going on in the Caribbean. This is part of a larger strategy against Venezuela, putting the squeeze on their oil sector and nudging them away from what the U.S. sees as naughty behavior. One can’t help but admire the boldness of it all, or maybe that’s just the popcorn talking.
Secretary Kristi Noem has used these moments to underline a clear stand: the U.S. will not tolerate the illicit movements of sank oil – though one might wonder exactly what a sank oil is. But never mind the dictionary battles, the heart of the matter is the effort to stop funds from going to narco-terrorism. It seems Washington has decided they’ve had enough of Venezuela’s antics under Nicolas Maduro.
Then there’s the ever-unfolding drama with Iran. Reports are buzzing about possible new strikes, and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, seems set to have a chat with President Trump on the matter. The chatter is about Iran expanding its ballistic missile program, something that raises eyebrows and pulses. It’s almost like Iran forgot they were being watched.
Apparently, if Iran thinks about pushing the button towards a nuclear weapon, Trump and crew have made it clear that they’ll swoop in with their own version of a superhero smackdown. The prospect of President Trump and Netanyahu putting their heads together on this is as tantalizing as it is tense. The world watches and waits, with just a hint of bated breath.
