From the very start, Trump wanted a military operation with relatively limited objectives, one that would allow a quick declaration of victory and a swift conclusion. He did believe the conflict could end within days. He never linked the attack on Iran to other agendas such as his upcoming visit to China, which was originally scheduled for late March or early April.
During the decision-making process, Israel exaggerated the feasibility of the operation to Trump. Trump bought into Israel’s advice, which overrode the assessments of the U.S. military and intelligence community. His subconscious and other considerations led him to bet on this course of action. (We don't go into other speculations, to the realm of conspiracy theories, though they look far less conspiratorial now.)
Once the war began, however, things unfolded completely against Trump’s wishes, and by then it was too late. An immediate withdrawal from the U.S. 's end would have been seen as a major political defeat, because he has really failed to achieve his most stated goals; refusing to back down would lead to a global economic catastrophe that would also turn into his political failure. He has already suffered a political defeat, and is merely weighing which outcome is less catastrophic.
Nevertheless, the trajectory of the Iran war is no longer determined by Trump’s will. Even if the U.S. unilaterally declares victory and withdraws from the battlefield, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed. Iran will demand an end to the conflict on its own terms, once and for all.
For Israel, Netanyahu knows full well that Israel has no way out. Since October 2023, it has exhausted all U.S. political support. Among younger Americans, anti-Israel sentiment has become a consensus across political spectrum. The U.S. will gradually decouple politically from Israel, and at least one thing is certain: no future U.S. president will ever go to war with Iran for Israel again. The U.S. wants a permanent withdrawal from the Middle East. Israel must therefore seize this opportunity and prevent the U.S. from extricating itself.
Trump thus faces this reality: while he wants to pull the U.S. out, Israel aims to escalate and expand the war; Iran seeks a protracted, attritional asymmetric war to inflict economic and political disaster on the U.S., with the short-term goal of securing its own survival and the long-term goal of reshaping the Middle East order.
What is the exit route for Trump? Only one option: accept reality, and a complete break with Netanyahu and Israel in respect of this war, acceptance of Iran’s terms, and inviting the leading nations of the BRICS to mediate in the process.
After watching five minutes of President Trump’s speech, any rational person should liquidate their U.S. dollar holdings and U.S. Treasuries, and buy gold and Chinese yuan instead. #Trump#USD