Making a territorial claim and failing to act to enforce it means: scoring an own goal. Our president dreams out loud about taking the territory; but his verbal threats only mobilize our enemies to secure the territory against us.

President Trump claimed full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz early in this war – and left it at talk. Iran responded by claiming sovereignty over Hormuz too – and proceeded to take military steps to enforce its claim on the ground. Iran is now acting to set up its institutionalized controls in the Strait and to extend its territorial claim still further afield.

It has been a devastating own goal for the USA.

There has been a spate of these own goals. Canada. Panama. Greenland. And now the Gulf.

Trump spoke repeatedly about annexing Canada. His threats to do this revived Canada’s historic anti-American nationalism and brought on the sudden collapse of the pro-Trump opposition candidate in the election there.

Trump talked loudly about annexing Greenland. It caused his friends to lose in the pending election in Denmark. And caused our main allies in Europe to unite to protect Greenland from us.

America cannot afford more “own goals” like these. Presidents must learn to hold their........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)