The coordinated strike on Iran by the US and Israel has just begun, so it is far too early to know how events will unfold. However, what we do know already is that the strike was carefully planned and kept secret by both American and Israeli commanders for at least a week. At least 500 strikes have been made on Iranian missile launchers and other military sites. Although Iran’s retaliation has been swift, it has been underwhelming to say the least. An Iranian missile did damage in Israel, and some Iranian missiles have hit other Middle Eastern sites, but no major damage has been done.And it is now confirmed that Ayatollah Khameini, and some of his most senior IRGC leaders have been killed by Israeli strikes. In addition, hundreds of potential deadly missile launchers have been put out of operation. Although the military operation has just started, it can be assumed that American and Israeli generals are breathing a sigh of relief. There has been no massive retaliation as promised. It appears that Iran’s military is not as fearsome as it had advertised.Meanwhile, crowds in London, England, German cities and all over the world — including in Tehran — are jubilantly celebrating the death of Khameini. And in what would totally confuse most Canadians, who have been fed steady CBC propaganda that Donald Trump is an incompetent fool, people in Tehran, Israel and other parts of the world are carrying “Trump” signs, and dancing in joy at what Trump has accomplished.It is a fact that he is the first president in 47 years to take this bold step. Republicans and Democrat presidents all tried to deal with the Iranian theocracy. They used a combination of carrots and sticks to make the dangerous Iranian regime either fade away or come to its senses. None of them was able to do so. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter massively bungled the Iranian situation, and is largely responsible for the theocrats taking power.In 2014, when massive protests in Iran seemed to be the perfect opportunity to support the protestors and end the regime, Obama instead sided with the evil regime — basically telling the protestors to go back home..Even the revered President Ronald Reagan caved in to pressure from the Iranians when he withdrew American troops from Lebanon after the Iran-sponsored bombing of the American military complex in Lebanon that killed 246 American servicemen.So it was President Donald Trump who finally did something serious about an Iranian theocratic regime that had caused mayhem in the Middle East and throughout the world, and was responsible for the deaths and displacement of millions.Exactly how it will turn out is not known. But Trump is staking his entire reputation and legacy on this exceedingly bold move. If it turns out to be a disaster, so will the rest of his term be, as well as his place in the history books. But — and his many adversaries will have a hard time admitting this — if he is successful, his place in history will be assured. The crowds in Tehran and Israel, chanting his name, will be vindicated. And so will he.But it is worthwhile asking how Iran fits into Trump’s broader plan. How will removing a major thorn in the side of the Western world — and that is what the Iranian regime has been — make the world a better place?To answer this question, perhaps we should back up to see what changes Trump has already made on the world scene..When he took power, Iran and its proxies, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, were all powerful and deadly. Hamas was fighting hard in Gaza, Hezbollah controlled most of Lebanon and Syria, and Iran seemed invincible. Venezuela was firmly under the control of the Maduro regime. All that has now changed radically. Trump’s alliance with Benjamin Netanyahu has resulted in a defanged Hezbollah, which in turn has removed the Assad regime as a threat. Hamas has been largely removed as a threat. Even the defiant Houthis have been so damaged that they are now refusing to support Iran, except by offering street demonstrations. As for Venezuela, which was a major Iranian ally, it is now actively cooperating with the Americans.In short, the international situation has changed drastically within Trump’s first year in office.So, what is the plan?It seems quite clear that China is the main focus of Trump’s foreign policy. An aggressive China that decides to invade Taiwan would wreck the world economy, and Trump is very aware of that. So, in one fell swoop, Trump has drastically weakened Communist China. Venezuela, which was a major source of selling sanctioned Russian and Iranian oil to China at a steep discount, has been taken away from China. That has weakened both China and its ally, Russia. And now, its even more important ally, Iran, seems to be teetering on the point of collapse. Both China and Russia will be greatly weakened by the loss of this important ally..So, what’s next?At this point, it is too early to say. But the opinion of so many Canadians — that Trump is a fool, or a dangerous incompetent — is going to have to undergo a radical revision. Trump is accomplishing things that will rival what Reagan did to the dreaded Soviet Union. He is not only standing up to a dangerous China, but rendering impotent its most important allies — Russia, Iran and Venezuela.This fact will be hard to swallow in a country like Canada, where every pipsqueak with a pen can delight his followers with new Trump insults.But this appears to be the reality. Trump is changing the world.
