US President Donald Trump finds himself in a serious dilemma in the ongoing fast-paced drama unfolding in the Persian Gulf pitting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In an article on Tuesday, the New York Times reported that the United States commander in chief appeared to send different signals on the attack on an oil facility.
In an interview with members of the press, Trump said that it appeared that Iran was behind the attack that has disrupted oil production in Saudi Arabia but failed to offer a definitive confirmation that it was indeed Iran that staged the attack.
The Washington Post reported on the apparent contradictions that the White House was spewing with regard to the attack on Aramco with the president saying that he didn't want a war and an hour later saying that a military response would be justifiable.
"We have the strongest military in the world ... we're prepared, more than anybody," he said.
According to the Post, Mr Trump was deliberately sending mixed signals in a frantic bid to assure the Saudis, Israelis and hawkish members of the governing Republican Party while at the same time trying to create some wiggle room for diplomatic engagement out of the political crisis in the Persian Gulf.
Cable News Network (CNN) reportage also made much of the competing instincts of President Trump on the Iran issue.
It reported that the US Head of State was keen on avoiding a crisis in the Middle East but was also keen on not creating a perception of weakness.
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