Mar 16, 2026 15:38 pm IST

Opinion | Amateur 'Advisors', Ignored Generals: How Trump Shunned Protocol To Launch Iran War

Recordings obtained by the Arms Control Association suggested that Witkoff misunderstood key technical aspects of Iran's nuclear programme.

Brigadier Anil Raman (Retd) Brigadier Anil Raman (Retd)

Brigadier Anil Raman (Retd)

A Council on Foreign Relations survey of US foreign policy ranked the 2003 Iraq invasion the worst decision in American foreign policy. Key reasons included ignoring intelligence warnings, sidelining professionals, launching the war without a credible endgame, and decision-making by a small group bypassing formal deliberation.

Two decades later, the United States again finds itself at war in the Middle East under circumstances echoing that earlier episode. The actors differ, and the geopolitical context has changed, yet the pattern of decision-making shows familiar weaknesses. Both conflicts reveal a tendency to marginalise professional advice, rely on a small circle of policymakers, and announce shifting objectives. The Iran conflict also reflects the growing influence of informal advisers and the diminished role of institutional review in the national security system.

A President Without Strategy

The starting point is the President.

President Donald Trump offered several explanations in one day for why the United States entered conflict with Iran. At different moments, the stated objectives ranged from destroying Iran's nuclear programme, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, to preventing Iranian retaliation against Israel, and regime change.

Each explanation pointed to a different strategic objective. Military campaigns require clear political goals because operations derive their logic from those aims. When objectives shift, strategic planning becomes difficult.

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The decision process also raised questions. Final authorisation for strikes reportedly occurred during discussions at Mar-a-Lago rather than through deliberations organised through the National Security Council. General........

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