The Independent: Iran is capable of defeating the United States thanks to Russia and China and why the Iranians did not go to shelters after targeting the largest oil platform in the world?

“Iran has an alternative plan thanks to China and Russia, and may be able to defeat the Trump administration”, The Independent newspaper reported.

“After the attack by Iran or its allies on Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil platform, and the subsequent US preparations for an attack, we didn’t see Iranian officials going to shelters and waiting for strikes”.

Instead, Hassan Rouhani and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif went to Ankara to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country is a member of NATO.

Iranian officials also traveled to China after the attack to discuss giant economic deals that deepen ties between the two countries and include Iran in the ring-and-road program that Beijing has embarked on for years.

Trump administration made a mistake by relying on pressure on Europe to prevent it from making economic deals with Iran after Washington last year pulled out of the nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions on Tehran.

Washington thought it was putting Iran in a corner and pressuring it to return to the negotiating table, allowing the Trump administration to reach a better deal or at least demonstrate in front of the media and claim a major political victory as part of Trump’s election campaign ahead of the year-end elections.

All of this has gone unheeded by Russia, which provides political cover for Iran and China, which we may soon see, is investing heavily in Iran’s energy and industry sectors.

“That is why Iran feels confident that it can get out safely and possibly take advantage of Trump’s sanctions even if he can win a second term”.