In what looks to be a potential "wag the dog" scenario to distract from the Mueller report and ongoing House/Senate investigations, pResident tRump is ratcheting up the rhetoric with Iran. An oil pipeline system in Saudi Arabia was attacked by drones controled by a Yemeni militia. Naturally, tRump used that moment to criticize Iran, a move intended to imply to his followers that it was Iran who initiated the attack. tRump has been on the warpath with Iran since before the election, and the facts just don't matter.

An Iranian official spoke out against this ratcheting up of tension:

To further inflame the situation, the State Department ordered all "non-essential" personnel to leave Iraq. In case that isn't bad enough, indicted leader of Israel Bibi Netanyahu thanked tRump for "sanctioning Iran at his request". Yes, that's right - tRump declared the complete sanctioning of Iranian oil at the behest of the leader of another foreign nation in that region. Nothing like throwing a little tinder on the fire.

At around the same time as the sanctions, tRump declared that Iran's military is a terrorist organization. Based on what? Based on nothing, of course. All of this saber-rattling may be a means to provide a rationale for yet another war in the Middle East. Or - it may simply be a campaign strategy.

It could also be a typical tRump move like he did with N. Korea, where he pushes us to the brink, and then suddenly becomes pals with his adversary, claims a moral victory, and praises his own supposed negotiation skills. That may have worked with Kim Jun Un, but I don't see it happening with the Imams in Iran. They aren't in a financially desperate situation.

This may be wag the dog, but it's with a dog that bites. Here's hoping it's only tRump who ends up bleeding.