A Thai tanker burns after Iran attack in the Straits of Hormuz (Agence-France Presse news agency)
Congressman Juan Ciscomani jumped to attention to support two major armed incursions by his boss, Donald Trump.
Ciscomani extolled the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro: “a critical step toward disrupting…deadly [drug] trafficking operations.”
He also jumped to the front to tell us what a great thing it was to start the Iran War: “I support fighting for the freedom of the Iranian people, a fight that President Trump has the courage to lead.”
Great, inspiring words. But warlike opening ventures can lead to contrary results. Then, a supporter such as Ciscomani, who can tell you right off what a great thing just happened, will promptly shut up when his praise becomes essentially meaningless.
Juan’s Venezuelan words were barely out of his mouth when his President made it clear that the main goal of ousting Maduro wasn’t to restore democracy to the country—it was to gain control of the country’s oil production. Trump, who made vague murmurs about political freedom for Venezuelans, wound up backing Maduro’s equally corrupt vice president, Delcy Rodriguez. Ten weeks after Maduro was snatched, a Venezuelan civil rights group says 500 political prisoners are still locked up. But the oil tankers are loading up and shoving off on an ocean of American profits. [www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/03/13/delcy-rodriguez-trump-venezuela]
Many people agree it was satisfying to see Iran’s cruel Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Khameni, killed in an attack. But again, Juan ignored what was to follow. Or maybe, as in Venezuela, nobody kept him up to date—or maybe, like Trump himself, he just can’t figure out the consequences. The Ayatollah’s son, more of a regime hardliner than his late dad, was picked to lead the country. Reminds one of a line from a song from the Hall of Fame rock group The Who: “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” (Or worse in this case).
And how is that war going now, congressman?
- Iran’s strategic location on the Straits of Hormuz has brought shipping, primarily of oil and natural gas, to a halt using sea mines and armed drones. Its drones and missiles have also targeted cities and oil and gas production sites throughout the Middle East.
- Some ships were attacked and hit and hundreds of others, including about 400 oil tankers, sit anchored, their cargo undelivered. The Strait is only 21 miles wide, and the US has the strongest Navy in the world, but Iran’s non-traditional warmaking renders our naval power irrelevant.
- Tankers are becalmed upon the waters, but the price of gasoline moves—up, and fast. As of March 19, the price of regular gas in Pima County has jumped 43.5 percent in a month, and in the Sierra Vista-Douglas area, 37.5 percent. [https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=AZ] Next, the prices of goods made from petroleum or transported in fuel-burning vehicles will go up in their turn, “Hormuz Inflation.” [http://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/14/hormuz-inflation-helium-fertilizer-00828680?]
Trump and his disastrously led Department of Defense have no clue about how to achieve, or even get close to, victory. One Trump insider sees this about Iran’s strength: “They decide how long we’re involved—and they decide if we put boots on the ground [send in combat troops]. And it doesn’t seem to be that there’s a way around that if we want to save face.” http://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/17/they-hold-the-cards-now-trump-allies-fear-iran-is-slipping-beyond-the-presidents-control-00830449?]
But that didn’t stop Juan Ciscomani and his fellow Republican Congressional sheep in Donald Trump’s sheepfold from voting down a House of Representatives resolution to enforce the War Powers Act (requiring Congress to declare war at the President’s request). They would rather go to war without a plan than anger THEIR Supreme Leader.
So, Ciscomani is incompetent at foreign policy. Perhaps, after he is ousted from his Sixth Congressional District seat in November, he can get a job in Donald Trump’s foreign relations apparatus. He’ll have lots of incompetent company there.
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