Tehran

Ohio’s Senate Race: Jon Husted and the Disaster of Trump’s War on Iran

Ohio’s Senate Race: Jon Husted and the Disaster of Trump’s War on Iran

I have watched Jon Husted for some time now. I find his political persona utterly repellent. He presents himself as a sober, moderate voice from the heartland. Nevertheless, his voting record reveals a deeply troubling reality. On September 24, the Senate considered a war powers resolution aimed at ending Trump’s War on Iran. That measure would have directed Trump to end it. The resolution failed by a single vote, 49 to 50. Husted was the fiftieth vote. He had told Politico just two days earlier that the war “needs to come to an end as quickly as possible”. Yet, when…
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Not a Quick War: Six Months Into the Iran War, Costs for the U.S. Are Mounting

Not a Quick War: Six Months Into the Iran War, Costs for the U.S. Are Mounting

More than six months into the Iran war, the United States continues to fight a major military confrontation with Iran, and the conflict is proving far more difficult and expensive than the Trump administration initially expected. What the Trump administration presented as a relatively short operation has now developed into a prolonged war, creating growing financial, military, and political problems for Washington. When President Trump authorized the campaign in February, the administration appeared to expect a rapid outcome. The administration based the strategy on the assumption that intense military pressure could force Tehran to surrender its strategic capabilities and perhaps…
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From Promised Deal to Prolonged War: Trump’s Iran Strategy Under Fire

From Promised Deal to Prolonged War: Trump’s Iran Strategy Under Fire

The Trump administration is increasingly turning away from diplomacy with Iran. Meanwhile, the chances of reaching a new nuclear deal are fading as military tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate. The latest comments from a senior US official suggest that President Donald Trump’s original ambition of securing a nuclear deal may be becoming increasingly difficult to achieve. Speaking to ABC News this Sunday, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright acknowledged that there may ultimately be no nuclear agreement with Iran. His remarks raise serious questions about the direction of the administration’s Iran policy, particularly because the United States and…
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America’s First Swinging Miss: Trump’s Economic War Against Iran Already Hit US Markets

America’s First Swinging Miss: Trump’s Economic War Against Iran Already Hit US Markets

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a sweeping new economic campaign against Iran, effectively launching an economic war against Iran, describing it as the “MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY” and accusing Tehran of failing to take an opportunity to reach a deal with Washington. He warned that Iran would face “Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale.”  Yet as Trump attempts to present the confrontation as a demonstration of American strength, its growing economic consequences are increasingly being felt beyond Iran—including in the United States itself.  Trump has also threatened countries whose banks, businesses,…
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Trump’s Hormuz Claim: Strength, Frustration, or a Sign of Failure?

Trump’s Hormuz Claim: Strength, Frustration, or a Sign of Failure?

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said during a speech in New York that “after we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States.” Only two days earlier, Trump had claimed that the United States had “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz.  The White House later said that Trump was joking about the idea of annexing the Strait of Hormoz to the U.S. territory. Yet even if Trump intended it as a joke, Trump’s Hormuz claim remains significant. It reflects the increasingly forceful…
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Trump Claims Total Control Over Hormuz: Is That Really the Case?

Trump Claims Total Control Over Hormuz: Is That Really the Case?

On August 12, U.S. President Donald Trump once again made his familiar Trump Claims Total Control Over Hormuz declaration, insisting that American forces, “and nobody else,” control the strategically important waterway.  The first problem with Trump’s statement is the difference between the notion of military presence and effective control. The United States has a powerful naval force in and around the Persian Gulf, including more than 15 warships. But having warships near the Strait does not automatically mean controlling it.  If Washington truly had complete control over Hormuz, commercial shipping would presumably be moving normally, without responding to Iranian restrictions.…
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Trump is Playing with Fire in Iran—and the Whole Middle East Could Pay the Price

Trump is Playing with Fire in Iran—and the Whole Middle East Could Pay the Price

Trump is Playing with Fire in Iran—and as the U.S. President faces a critical decision over Tehran, his approach to the conflict risks turning an already dangerous confrontation into a much wider war. Analysts now warn that instead of creating greater security, Washington's increasingly aggressive strategy could draw more countries into the fighting, disrupt global energy supplies and leave the United States facing consequences far beyond the battlefield. Trump recently suspended what he described as the biggest attack on Iran since World War II after Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states reportedly urged him to reconsider. Their concerns were understandable:…
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No Breakthrough, Rising Frustration: Trump’s War on Iran

No Breakthrough, Rising Frustration: Trump’s War on Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump is increasingly frustrated with Iran as his administration struggles to secure a concession from the country. After accusing Tehran of being "unbelievably duplicitous," Trump admitted that dealing with its leaders had become a source of irritation. "All they do is make me angry," he told reporters Monday. "They just make me angry." The remarks come as negotiations over reopening the Strait of Hormuz remain deadlocked, with Tehran refusing to abandon its demand for transit fees—a condition Trump has repeatedly rejected. Trump's war on Iran has entered a phase where military and economic pressure have yet to…
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The Emperor of Empty Promises: Trump’s Iran Bluff Meets Tehran’s Reality Check

The Emperor of Empty Promises: Trump’s Iran Bluff Meets Tehran’s Reality Check

Once again, Donald Trump has presented a picture of diplomatic progress with Iran that appears to have removed itself far from the reality on the ground. The U.S. president claimed this Monday that negotiations with Tehran were actively moving forward, but Iranian officials quickly rejected his version of events, creating another example of a widening gap between Trump’s public announcements and the facts that follow. This immediate dismissal from Tehran underscores the fundamental disconnect at the heart of Trump’s Iran Bluff—a strategy that relies more on dramatic press releases than on tangible diplomatic milestones. The opposing statements from Washington and…
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