IRAN RESPONDS – AT 9:53 A.M. ET:  There is a confrontation building between President Trump and Iran.  How Trump handles this has the potential to define his presidency.  It can't be done with tweets.  From AFP:

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday warned the US not to threaten Iran with sanctions, saying American President Donald Trump’s brow-beating would see a response in the coming days.

“Trump says fear me! No. The Iranian nation will respond to your comments with a demonstration on the 10th of February,” Khamenei said in a speech to military officers in Tehran on Tuesday. “They will show others what kind of stance the nation of Iran takes when threatened,” he said.

His comments came in the wake of Trump’s statement to reporters on Thursday about whether a military response to Iran was under consideration, following Tehran’s illicit ballistic missile test.

“Nothing is off the table,” Trump replied, borrowing a phrase Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has used for years vis-à-vis Tehran’s nuclear program. Days earlier, a top US administration official had said Iran was “on notice.”

Khamenei also responded to Trump’s tweet of February 3, which said: “Iran is playing with fire — they don’t appreciate how ‘kind’ President Obama was to them.”

The leader ridiculed the idea of being grateful to former president Barack Obama, saying he was the one who placed “paralyzing sanctions” on Iran.

“The new US president says Iran should thank Obama! Why?!” Khamenei posted on his website. “Should we thank him for [creating] ISIS, the ongoing wars in Iraq and Syria, or the blatant support for the 2009 sedition in Iran? He was the president who imposed paralyzing sanctions on the Iranian nation; of course, he did not achieve what he desired. No enemy can ever paralyze the Iranian nation.”

Khamenei also told the officers that Trump had revealed the true colors of the US.

COMMENT:  The supreme guy talks about a "demonstration" on February 10th, three days from now.  Sounds like another missile launch, or maybe a military parade showing off new weapons.  Or an overflight of American ships near Iran.

Trump had better get this right.  On the one hand, he can't back down, which was Obama's style.  On the other hand, he can't be sucked into a military action he really doesn't want to take. 

He can't be sure of much support from our "allies," many of whom are making fortunes in Iran.  And there are some American firms, like Boeing, who are also involved in the Iran trade.

A critical moment coming up.

February 7,  2017