Well, America, let the drama begin. We are less than 72 hours away from the expiration of the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran. We can’t take anything for granted, nor can we believe anything coming out of Donald Trump’s mouth. What we all can agree on is that this “TRUMP AT THE PUMP” is not what any of us signed up for.

He originally said this war would be over in 4 to 6 weeks, and now we are north of 2 months. We kept hearing that we had won the war and Iran was begging to surrender, only to find out he had grossly underestimated Iran’s capabilities. He has proclaimed that Iran has agreed to give up all of its nuclear material, while Iran has stated that it is not even negotiating. He has also said that the United States Navy is now controlling the Strait of Hormuz, which is the farthest thing from the truth, with no acceptable resolution now on the table.

While all of this is playing out, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has taken control of the government and is now calling the shots in ways that will be less favorable than its predecessors. They will not give up their enriched uranium or anything else to do with trying to make a nuclear bomb. They realize that now the Strait of Hormuz has incalculable value like never before, and they are holding all of the aces. They can manipulate the 20% of the world’s oil and gas supply that comes through the strait on a daily basis with roughly 20 million barrels per day. They also will control the supply of helium, fertilizer and other commodities that pass through the Strait of Hormuz from that region.

We are now faced with trying to turn back the hands of time to over 11 years ago under President Barack Obama and Secretary of State, John Kerry, who had secured the greatest nuclear disarmament deal in the history of the world with Iran. They also were allowed to take out about 90% of the enriched uranium, with active monitors from the Atomic Energy Commission able to verify their efforts to stay in compliance with the accord throughout their country.

Guess what? The White House toddler got elected and immediately tore up everything that Obama had done with Iran and left us high and dry.

The decent and forward-thinking people of this country must rise up and demand some accountability for all of Donald Trump’s corruption by electing leaders with some moral spine, throwing out the Trump holdovers and ring-kissers, and locking the wrongdoers up and bringing back civility and common sense to governance.

Larry Watson

Columbus