Oh dear, Donald, that was a bust

Dear, oh dear, Donald. It’s one thing having a full go at the “failing” New York Times for publishing a leaked intelligence assessment that your B-2 bombers didn’t “completely obliterate” Iran’s nuclear programme… but when your Israeli allies are saying the same thing, then we must wonder.

Because, for all their faults, the Israelis have one of the most effective intelligence services in the world – they couldn’t have battered Iran like they have been if they didn’t have pinpoint information – and they would want to know what was going on in their archenemy’s territory.

The raid was daring but was it more for propaganda value than anything else?

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Certainly, there would have been some pain for the Iranians, or they would not have apparently quickly agreed to the US president’s ceasefire plan.

And Donald Trump was making threatening noises at both Iran and Israel for allegedly violating the truce.

That the missiles have stopped being fired by both sides is encouraging and so is the fact – for Washington at least – that the US role has effectively squeezed out its rival, China, as an influencer in the Middle East.

Maybe you should stop throwing your toys out of the cot, Mr President.

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