But this is a setback, not a humiliation, for Trump. He is positioning himself as the only man who can broker peace, once the bombing stops.
“I alone can fix it,” is Trump’s most essential, core belief. He first said it when accepting the Republican nomination in 2016 and has clung to this creed ever since. His Truth Social post in the early hours of Friday morning was a clear window into his thinking.
Step one: play nice. “Iran must make a deal,” Trump declared. In other words, the door remains open for mediation. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s real estate buddy, golfing partner and Middle East envoy, remains ready to attend talks in Oman.
Step two: bully. If Iran doesn’t come to terms, all hell will break loose. There will be “nothing left” and the “next planned attacks will be even more brutal”, he threatened. Intriguingly, Trump threw in a reference to American military hardware.
“The United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and… Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come”. The implication is that the US is hands-off for now, but might come to Israel’s aid if Tehran doesn’t fold soon.
No one actually knows what Trump wants, including himself, but it seems plausible that he approved the strike, given some of his comments in the days leading up to it and his frustration over the slow pace of negotiations and Iran’s unwillingness to budge.
This is different from the last Gaza ceasefire, where it seemed he egged on Israel’s return to war.
Not trying to be a Israel supporter but Iran is getting it handed to them rn. Entire Top Brass and head nuclear Scientists gone, Total Anti Air failure across the board. Nuclear sites destroyed, Airforce more than likely wiped out. Ever growing ICBM and equipment destroyed. Israel is flying over Iran at liberty bombing what they want with very little active threats.
Iran lost the intelligence war, the Airspace above its cities, its nuclear capabilities, its leadership all in the first 18 hours… this isnt going to any different than the 6 day war.
I don’t think the US will need to get involved more than politically posturing and in providing intelligence
Didn’t he do that with Melania, look where that got him 🤷♂️ just saying.
When has Trump ever played nice with a country other than Russia and Israel?
Im seeing way too many articles from the UK here that are under the impression Trump is a rational actor with a coherent plan.
Trump talks loudly while holding his limp pudding.
6 comments
Israel’s go-it-alone attack on Iran has left Donald Trump with a certain amount of egg on his face. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [has given a two-fingered response](https://inews.co.uk/news/world/why-has-israel-attacked-iran-understand-the-conflict-in-three-minutes-3747610?ico=in-line_link) to the US President’s attempt to strike a nuclear deal with Tehran – as Trump’s friends in the Gulf states had hoped for, but Netanyahu opposed from the start.
But this is a setback, not a humiliation, for Trump. He is positioning himself as the only man who can broker peace, once the bombing stops.
“I alone can fix it,” is Trump’s most essential, core belief. He first said it when accepting the Republican nomination in 2016 and has clung to this creed ever since. His Truth Social post in the early hours of Friday morning was a clear window into his thinking.
Step one: play nice. “Iran must make a deal,” Trump declared. In other words, the door remains open for mediation. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s real estate buddy, golfing partner and Middle East envoy, remains ready to attend talks in Oman.
Step two: bully. If Iran doesn’t come to terms, all hell will break loose. There will be “nothing left” and the “next planned attacks will be even more brutal”, he threatened. Intriguingly, Trump threw in a reference to American military hardware.
“The United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and… Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come”. The implication is that the US is hands-off for now, but might come to Israel’s aid if Tehran doesn’t fold soon.
Trump is [playing a game of strategic ambiguity](https://inews.co.uk/opinion/trump-humiliation-strongman-image-in-tatters-3747415?ico=in-line_link) here. He won’t mind that two Israeli officials briefed Axios that “[we had a clear US green light](https://www.axios.com/2025/06/13/how-israel-executed-strike-iran-nuclear)” for the attacks. Obviously, the US was given prior warning by Israel. The White House has freely admitted this.
No one actually knows what Trump wants, including himself, but it seems plausible that he approved the strike, given some of his comments in the days leading up to it and his frustration over the slow pace of negotiations and Iran’s unwillingness to budge.
This is different from the last Gaza ceasefire, where it seemed he egged on Israel’s return to war.
Not trying to be a Israel supporter but Iran is getting it handed to them rn. Entire Top Brass and head nuclear Scientists gone, Total Anti Air failure across the board. Nuclear sites destroyed, Airforce more than likely wiped out. Ever growing ICBM and equipment destroyed. Israel is flying over Iran at liberty bombing what they want with very little active threats.
Iran lost the intelligence war, the Airspace above its cities, its nuclear capabilities, its leadership all in the first 18 hours… this isnt going to any different than the 6 day war.
I don’t think the US will need to get involved more than politically posturing and in providing intelligence
Didn’t he do that with Melania, look where that got him 🤷♂️ just saying.
When has Trump ever played nice with a country other than Russia and Israel?
Im seeing way too many articles from the UK here that are under the impression Trump is a rational actor with a coherent plan.
Trump talks loudly while holding his limp pudding.
Comments are closed.