A Trump Regime Middle East October Surprise Coming?

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Trailing Biden by an average of 6.8 points — according to Real Clear Politics as of late September — do Trump strategists intend an October surprise to improve his reelection prospects?

On Monday in response to phony US Middle East anti-terrorism operations, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif said the following:

"You claim you eliminated Daesh. You killed Daesh's number one enemy in a wretched act and with utmost bestiality."

Zarif referred to the Pentagon's murder of redoubtable terrorist fighter Iranian Quds Force commander General Qassem Soleimani in January.

Tehran-backed Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was killed at the same time — prompting retaliatory rocket attacks against the US presence in the country that continue.

On Sunday, two US convoys were attacked with explosive devices. Iraqis want their country back, Pentagon occupation ended.

In early September, US CENTCOM commander General Kenneth Mckenzie said Pentagon troop strength in Iraq would be reduced to about 3,000.

Is the Middle East the most likely location if an October surprise is coming? Will Iraq be targeted with Iran in mind?

Are more US preemptive hostilities in the region possible ahead of November elections?

Along with China and Russia, Iran is a key US target for regime change.

According to Bloomberg News, citing unnamed sources, the Trump regime intends new sanctions on over a dozen Iranian banks, along with remittance processors, and the informal hawala transfer system.

The action aims to try isolating the country's financial sector from the world community and make it harder for Biden to rejoin the JCPOA if he's elected president in November.

Despite everything thrown at Iran by the US for over 40 years, including all-out sanctions war, especially by the Trump regime, the Islamic Republic remains resilient.

Along with more sanctions that have no legal validity under international law, will Trump regime hardliners provoke confrontation with Iran in the coming weeks?

On the phony pretext of combatting ISIS the US created and supports, using its jihadists as proxy forces in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, the Pentagon terror-bombed Iraq on September 23.

According to Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet spokeswoman Commander Rebecca Rebarich, two F/A-18F Super Hornets from the USS Nimitz conducted the strikes.

The US Navy tweeted:

"Locked and Loaded #NavyReadiness"

"#USSNimitz (CVN 68) conducts flight operations in support of #OperationInherentResolve." 

"Nimitz is deployed to the @US5thFleet to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region (sic)."

Ahead of the strike, a Fifth Fleet news release said CVW 17 will "provid(e) close air support and defensive counter-air missions to the coalition fight" against Daesh forces — the terror group supported by the US and its imperial partners left unexplained.

Separately according to US media reports on Sunday, the Trump regime threatened to close its Baghdad embassy and evacuate its staff unless Iraqi authorities act to end rocket attacks on the heavily-fortified Green Zone where it's based.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Pompeo informed Iraqi President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi of a possible diplomatic pullout from the city — not from its Erbil consulate.

Iraqi MP head of parliament's Security and Defense Committee Mohammad Reza believes the Trump regime is bluffing.

In his latest press conference, Trump "did not address this issue," he said, adding:

"I do not expect that the US embassy will be closed." 

"It is used as a kind of pressure on the Iraqi government, (related to the upcoming November presidential) election that the US cares about…No more, no less."

Whether or not the Trump regime follows through on its threat, will it escalate strikes on Iraqi Shia militias with close ties to Iran? 

With US November elections drawing near, will Trump strategists provoke confrontation with Iran to try increasing support for DJT?

In an attempt to revive his lagging behind reelection campaign, will he initiate a false flag incident against Iran as a pretext for confrontation.

False flags are a longstanding US tradition since the mid-19th century.

Post-9/11, the mother of all US false flags, GW Bush's approval rating rose from around 50 to 85% in a few days, peaking at 90% on September 21?

Do Trump strategists have a similar scheme in mind, hoping he'll get an approval boost to defeat Biden and gain a second term?

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

My two Wall Street books are timely reading:

"How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion, and Class War"

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"Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity"

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