Trump Outrage Watch: Enabling Iran Edition
By Mort Kondracke
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From the first day of his war on Iran (Feb. 28) Donald Trump has claimed victory and said the conflict would be over in a matter of weeks at the latest. He said “it was over in the first hour,” that it was “a perfect victory” and that Iran’s military had been “obliterated.” “They have nothing left,” he said. And, it was “the greatest military success in history.”
But wars’ winners are not determined by bravado. They are judged by whether the goals set—preferably clearly and in advance (at least by a competent commander)—were actually met. By that standard, Trump’s war is no triumph. It’s a strategic failure that leaves the US weaker, Iran richer and the region more unstable.
From the beginning, Trump’s objectives shifted—sometimes by the day. He wanted to destroy Iran’s missile arsenal—until he didn’t. He wanted to permanently stop Iran’s nuclear weapons program—until he punted the issue into the future. He wanted the Iranian people to overthrow their despotic government—until it became clear the war had strengthened the despots. It swiftly became clear Trump had no coherent strategy at all.
Now, thanks to Trump starting this war, Iran has discovered a coherent strategy: it can control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, threatening a global economic meltdown, which terrifies Trump.
https://www.postalley.org/2026/06/30/trump-outrage-watch-enabling-iran-edition/?mc_cid=c85f30afd2&mc_eid=a0c4847065