Alex Christoforou
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris examine the reasons, and the many theories being debated, as to why US President Trump decided on a more measured and cautious response to the downing of an American Drone by Iran.
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Why Did Trump Defy Warmongers, And Decide Not To Attack Iran? by The Duran
The Duran Quick Take: Episode 214. The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris examine the reasons, and the many theories being debated, as to why US President Trump decided on a more measured and cautious response to the downing of an American Drone by Iran.
Iran successfully prevented US cyber-attacks that targeted its infrastructure, the country’s information minister said after Washington was reported to have crippled Tehran’s missile control sites with a retaliatory cyber-strike.
Minister for Information and Communication Technology Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi appeared to deny reports in the US media that a massive cyber-offensive had disabled Iranian computer systems that control rocket and missile launches on Thursday
Neither the Pentagon nor the White House commented on the reports, which claimed that the strike had been carried out by US Cyber Command in cooperation with US Central Command to avenge the downing of an unmanned US Navy drone, shot down by Iran on Thursday morning.
Stopping short of directly addressing rumors that the attack had taken place, Jahromi said that Iran has vast experience of thwarting these kind of assaults, having foiled some “33 million attacks with the [national] firewall, only within the last year.”
He specifically referred to Stuxnet, a computer worm jointly developed by the US and Israel, which was used to infiltrateIran’s nuclear facility networks in 2009-2010.
“They try hard, but have not carried out a successful attack”
The Washington Post reported earlier that the alleged cyber-strike had incapacitated Iran’s military command posts and control systems.
The Trump administration has been pursuing a hawkish cyber-strategy. Signed by Trump last September, the document rolled up many of the constraints that limited the usage of offensive cyber-operations in retaliation against foreign actors.
Unveiling the strategy, Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, who has been rallying behind a military option in Iran, announced that Washington’s “hands are not tied” anymore.
Meanwhile, Iran has exercised caution, warning that the US military should carefully assess the risks before going to war with Tehran. A senior Iranian general warned that if a conflict breaks out, “no country would be able to manage its scope and timing.”
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
How do we know that the cyber-attack was less than successful? Because if it had crippled Iran’s defense, the US would most definitely have then attacked.
The republican senator from Virginia, the one that swims against the currents, said an amazingly logical thing today. If the drone was downed in international waters, why didn’t the US recover it instead of Iran? They certainly would have wanted to and it’s not like they weren’t just a half a hop, skip and jump away.
How’d that senator get in there anyway? Way too insightful for senatorial work.
Pretty much. You don’t want to waste a cyber attack and then not follow up, because they take a long time to set up and cannot be repeated in identical fashion. It would be rather hilarious if they blew their cyber-powder on a whim and then get a bloody nose when they do an unsupported kinetic action at a later date.
The decision not to attack Iran as a response to the drone downing was a typical chump trump ploy, done for PR purposes to make him ‘appear’ to be a person of restraint, morality and conscience. I make this argument based upon the following. If indeed their was a U. S. response attack plan in place, that he called off based upon ‘Just Cause,’ i.e.the killing of 150 people being disproportionate to the material loss of a U. S. drone, why the chump nix the plan when it was originally presented to him by his underling advisers? When his people… Read more »
……..but this particular apparition hasn’t manifested itself for me yet.
‘appear’ to be a person of restraint, morality and conscience. hmmm
What do you mean, did not attack Iran? I thought Trump launched cyber-attacks and according to their own fatwah, a cyber-attack is an act of war and demands a hyper-proportionate response.
I wish the media would keep better track of things. If they’re going to parrot WH fatwahs, they should be consistent, else we’ll lose faith in them.
On “Trump and the warmongers” don’t get me wrong … your analysis is usually spot on … but in the case of Trump, I fear the Duran may be suffering from early symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome..?
Trump being kind is not a position supported by the facts. Alexander referenced Obama as being bloodthirsty and playing god for the drone program. But the fact of the matter is that the tempo of drone strikes has multiplied under Trump, and ROE’s have been loosened. The rate of civilians being killed in attacks against suspected (key word) IS, Al Shabaab, AQAP etc. targets is much higher than it was (in so far as they are even bothering counting anymore). So either Alexander is disingenuously spinning a yarn (because he is a font of knowledge and will know this as… Read more »