Trump’s ‘largely negotiated’ truce with Iran exposes a deeper crisis in U.S. strategic thinking
United States President Donald Trump has announced via social media that a peace deal with Iran has been “largely negotiated.” While Trump and his allies have been trumpeting the agreement for days, details are vague, and Iranian authorities insist the two parties have yet to reach a formal deal.
In fact, it appears much more negotiation is still required between Iran and the U.S.
The confusion likely stems from one of Trump’s fixations: that the U.S. is winning the conflict, an assertion that’s at odds with the actual evidence.
Read more: Iran’s attacks drone on, with the U.S. at risk of losing the war
Insisting the U.S. is winning
Trump, in his various statements on the Iran conflict, has become increasingly adamant that the U.S. has defeated Iran. He’s even accused reporters critical of the American war effort of treason.
Regardless of Trump’s threats, it’s clear that the U.S. is in a worse strategic position than it was before the war.
The conflict has further alienated key American allies, both within the region and globally. It’s also having a devastating impact on the American economy.
Trump’s attacks on his opponents and the media are of course nothing new. That makes it easy to dismiss those attacks as just more of the same.
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