Former UK Security Chief's Brutal Verdict On Trump's Iran Strategy: 'He's Floundering Around'

Lord Ricketts said the US president is "making it up as he goes along".

A UK military expert has said Donald Trump is “floundering around” in his attempts to end the war in Iran.

Former national security adviser Lord Peter Ricketts said the US president “is making it up as he goes along” more than three weeks after the conflict began.

His comments, on Radio 4′s Today programme, came as the countdown continues on Trump’s ultimatum for Iran to re-open the Strait of Hormuz or risk their power plants being “obliterated”.

The president issued the warning as the vital waterway – which carried around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply – remains effectively closed to traffic because of the risk of Iranian attacks.

However, Lord Ricketts said: “Iran is not going to capitulate to Donald Trump’s threat and ultimatum and so he is going to have a massive decision to take”.

“Does he walk away from the ultimatum – he’s done that many times in the Ukraine and Gaza context – or does he double down and smash up the power stations, rather like the Russians have behaved in Ukraine for the last three or four years?

“In which case, Iran certainly will retaliate against American and Gulf oil and gas assets. They can do that and they will do.

“Then Trump has to decide what to do further. Does he at that point double down again, does he start talking about introducing troops?”

He added: “This is the problem of someone who behaves like Trump. Nobody dares speak truth to power and therefore he is making it up as he goes along.

“He’s floundering around with massive stakes, because every time he makes one of these threats, the Iranians are confirmed in their view that holding the Strait of Hormuz tightly in their grip as they’re doing is a very powerful weapon and they’re not going to unlearn that.”

Trump and Keir Starmer discussed the importance to the global economy of the Strain or Hormuz being reopened in a telephone call on Sunday night.

A Downing Street spokesman said: “The leaders discussed the current situation in the Middle East, and in particular, the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to resume global shipping.

“They agreed that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was essential to ensure stability in the global energy market.”

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