with the scenario developing in the persian gulf, it's important not to forget what actually happened in the gulf of tonkin.

trump wants to find a way to steal some oil. it's a central part of his desire to be president: he wants to find some country, blow it up, invade it and steal it's resources. openly. blatantly. as a show of force...

iran is the dumbest option on the table, but he's a dumb guy that is going to do dumb things.

i keep pointing out that the united states is literally unable to win a war in iran, and they know it, and that's why they won't do it. it would be completely insane, and the generals are still in charge, so it's not happening. but, if trump can't find an easier way to steal some oil, he might start to get itchy about it.

so, this is only a serious issue insofar as the president's mental health is a serious concern. and, that remains an open question.

the british have indicated that they have no reason to doubt the americans' claim. that is a careful way to state that they don't believe the reports, and have good reason not to, based on historical precedent.

the iranians would not be concerned about erasing evidence. there is no process to try them, no court of proper jurisdiction. and, the americans are hardly interested in international law. i frankly don't know why they even bother with a pretext anymore, as nobody is going to actually take it seriously.

https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2008/february/truth-about-tonkin