Three Weeks Later: Analyzing the Latest Developments in Iran
Congratulations media, you've got your new forever war!
At least, it appears that way after this past week's revelations. With Donald Trump still unable to define victory, Iran strategically blocking the Strait of Hormuz, and none other than Jared Kushner serving in a key advisory role, the Trump Administration's newest military "short-term excursion" will be anything but. Trump's ego won't let him lose, a trait shared by the current ruling ayatollahs of Iran. Gas prices have increased by over 21% over the past three weeks, and the cost of oil has reached $100 per barrel and shows no sign of decreasing. The Dow Jones is down over 7% from its Pam Bondi-approved 50,000 mark one month ago, and with the recent horrific February jobs report, we are now on the path to stagflation, a rare event in which economic growth slows and prices rise simultaneously. Once again, we're seeing a Republican president start wars, balloon the deficit, drive up inflation, and ruin his Democratic predecessor's good work in stabilizing the economy.
But more than all that, we're seeing Donald the Dove in his true form. After disposing of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, Trump and his team of Pete Kegseths were ready for their next global conquest. Iran has long been a perceived enemy of the United States, but no president has been stupid enough to take Israel up on their offer and actually attack the country like Trump has done. In fact, we saw significant progress through the soft power of American diplomacy with the Iran Deal during the Obama Administration, but Trump, of course, couldn't stand any accomplishment by the Black man, so he withdrew from the deal without any sort of replacement plan in place. With the US June 2025 bombing of Iranian nuclear sites, Tulsi Gabbard and other White House "experts" claimed that three key sites were knocked permanently offline. Yet in the justification for the newest round of bombing, Donald Trump has stated that a key objective is to end Iran's nuclear program. Why this administration is lying to the American people about Iran's nuclear capabilities would be a fantastic question for anyone in the press to ask, should they feel inclined.
The challenge now is who blinks first: Trump or the ayatollahs. Both are making some of the dumbest decisions we've seen when it comes to 21st-century warfare. Trump and his team of wannabe alphas magically believed that Iran would give in before resorting to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. They now believe that American allies will heed the call and send warships, something increasingly unlikely due to the administration's penchant for alienating those closest to us. We've seen neutral Switzerland
refuse access to its airspace for US military aircraft, eliminating a proposed route to Iran. Already, we're seeing the strain on high-end US munitions, and it has been Ukraine, not the United States, which has developed the best anti-drone technology to fend off Iranian attacks. We're even seeing US intelligence being badly exposed when it was revealed that it was using outdated intel on a strike on an Iranian girls' school, which tragically killed over 150 people. Trump is now neck-deep in a Middle East quagmire, and nobody in his inner circle has the balls to tell him to back down.
Sadly, the US's lack of common sense isn't unique. Iran's approach to the conflict has been confounding at best and idiotic at worst. In attacking regional countries, Iran has isolated itself in a way that has taken away any localized support. While the fellow Gulf countries won't go so far as to actually help Israel, they are also beginning to see Iran as a potential foe rather than ally. On Sunday, Iran launched simultaneous missile and drone attacks against key ports in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, marking the first time that non-US bases had been targeted. Even China, long seen as an ally, is more interested in the oil rather than the Iranian regime. Iran has made itself a pariah in this war and has only itself to blame. Like the US, they too are going at this singlehandedly, and the new rulers are doing everything they can to not cave to Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hence the current stalemate. At some point, Donald Trump will have to end his latest wargame, but when that happens is anybody's guess. The stock market plunge is something to keep our eye on, as what Trump's handlers hate even more than him TACOing is losing money with their stock portfolios and having to pay excessive amounts of money to gas up their private jets and yachts. Trump, Kegseth, and Kushner have zero understanding of the region, and it would be easy enough for Trump to declare victory without having achieved a clear set of goals. All we need is one trusted advisor to plant that seed, and Trump will fold quicker than a cheap suit. Here we stand, 14 months into Donald Trump's second term in office, with a war in the Middle East that can only end when the man in the Oval Office gets bored and convinces himself he has achieved a great victory for all mankind.
But hey, Kamala once said the word "the" funny. Amirite?
Sadly, the US's lack of common sense isn't unique. Iran's approach to the conflict has been confounding at best and idiotic at worst. In attacking regional countries, Iran has isolated itself in a way that has taken away any localized support. While the fellow Gulf countries won't go so far as to actually help Israel, they are also beginning to see Iran as a potential foe rather than ally. On Sunday, Iran launched simultaneous missile and drone attacks against key ports in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, marking the first time that non-US bases had been targeted. Even China, long seen as an ally, is more interested in the oil rather than the Iranian regime. Iran has made itself a pariah in this war and has only itself to blame. Like the US, they too are going at this singlehandedly, and the new rulers are doing everything they can to not cave to Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hence the current stalemate. At some point, Donald Trump will have to end his latest wargame, but when that happens is anybody's guess. The stock market plunge is something to keep our eye on, as what Trump's handlers hate even more than him TACOing is losing money with their stock portfolios and having to pay excessive amounts of money to gas up their private jets and yachts. Trump, Kegseth, and Kushner have zero understanding of the region, and it would be easy enough for Trump to declare victory without having achieved a clear set of goals. All we need is one trusted advisor to plant that seed, and Trump will fold quicker than a cheap suit. Here we stand, 14 months into Donald Trump's second term in office, with a war in the Middle East that can only end when the man in the Oval Office gets bored and convinces himself he has achieved a great victory for all mankind.
But hey, Kamala once said the word "the" funny. Amirite?