President Trump is facing a bungled government response to the coronavirus threat — in Iran. And he has to decide what America should do about it
Murky messaging. Dismissive attitudes. Bureaucratic shortcomings. A tenuous relationship with the truth.
The administration has already started taking tentative first steps. On Friday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the U.S. had made a formal offer of assistance to the Iranian people via Switzerland, which serves as an intermediary between the two countries. It was unclear what form of assistance that would take, or whether Iran would accept it.
In China, where the coronavirus emerged and has hit hardest, Trump has maintained top-level relationships while managing a delicate balance of trade war brinkmanship and long-term maneuvering. At home, his administration is already mobilizing a government-wide effort to gird against a potential outbreak.
“President Trump essentially has sanctioned America out of influence inside Iran,” said Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the left-leaning Center for American Progress.
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