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President Donald Trump on Wednesday disputed that there’s disagreement among his foreign policy team over Iran, as tensions rose over attacks against oil tankers and facilities in the Persian Gulf region.
TRUMP DISMISSES ‘INFIGHTING’
The president said reports by the Washington Post and New York Times about “infighting” regarding his Middle East policy were incorrect, and said it’s he who makes a “decisive and final decision” on foreign policy.
Trump’s comments on Twitter came a day after he dismissed a report in the Times that said his administration was planning to send 120,000 troops to the Middle East to deal with Iran. But the president also threatened to do so if needed. In a tweet Wednesday, he said, “I’m sure that Iran will want to talk soon.” Iranian officials have rebuffed Trump’s suggestion that they call him to try to defuse tensions.
Politico reported congressional leaders will get more information about the Iran situation on Thursday during a confidential briefing with Trump administration officials. The U.S. has ordered all its nonemergency diplomatic staff to leave Iraq, as tensions rise with Iran over the attacks on tankers and facilities. The State Department directive came amid U.S. warnings of heightened threats in the Middle East from Iran-allied militias, which could target American citizens and soldiers in Iraq, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Oil futures finished higher Wednesday, with global crude prices LCON9, +0.95% posting their highest settlement in two weeks, as investors focused on rising Middle East tensions.
Read: Global oil benchmark ends at 2-week high as Middle East tensions overshadow U.S. supply buildup.
TELECOM ORDER SIGNED
Trump signed an executive order that purports to “secure the information and communications technology and services supply chain.” The order allows the president to prohibit transactions. It doesn’t name Chinese suppliers Huawei Technologies or ZTE by name, two companies the U.S. government has previously sanctioned.
“Foreign adversaries are increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology and services, which store and communicate vast amounts of sensitive information, facilitate the digital economy, and support critical infrastructure and vital emergency services, in order to commit malicious cyber-enabled actions, including economic and industrial espionage against the United States and its people,” the order states.
DEMOCRATS’ BRAINS…AND TRUMP’S
In addition to honoring slain law-enforcement members at a ceremony, Trump took another jab at 2020 Democratic presidential nomination hopefuls. Responding to a comment by “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough that Trump looked younger than a lot of Democratic candidates, he said, “Thank you Joe and remember, the BRAIN is much sharper also!”
Trump has attacked Democrats including Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, giving each of them nicknames as they compete for the nomination. Biden is the front-runner in polls of the field, which has more than 20 candidates.
See: As Biden commands lead in polls, these are the Democrats who are running for president.
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