STRATEGIC THINKING IS FORBIDDEN
CEO OF A MAJOR FIRM SAID “NO THANKS, I’M INTO DOMINATION."
That hypothetical brilliantly reflects the speech and political chatter of Donald Trump. The Iran War cease fire debacle makes clear he is a president who thinks strategic planning is a board game he once played with his siblings. He obviously gained his real estate business. acumen playing Monopoly,
“Donimation” Trump believes there is global applicability to the fake machismo exploited by professional (showbiz) wrestlers. No surprise that the meeting with Iranian officials crashed and closed after 21 hours of talking and staring at each other.
US Vice President JD Vance said, “They did not accept our proposal.”
“It seems the Americans didn’t come to negotiate!” said Ali Gholhaki, a conservative analyst close to the Iranian government.
“If I can’t have what I want, you can’t either,” was T rump’s response announcing the US Navy will now blockade entry and exit of the Hormuz Strait, an international waterway.
In a separate post on Truth Social, he diagnosed the failure in talks: “Iran is unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions.” Multiple points sought by each side were written in ‘unobtainium ink.’
The reality is is escalate or negotiate. Not any easy task given
the surprise killing of Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This was their 9/11, a terrorist act that cannot be forgiven.Rather than weakening Iran’s regime, it has intensified instability across the Middle East for years to come.
A veteran Turkish journalist friend with extensive experience reporting about Iran told me that Washington and Tel Aviv are misreading Iranian society. “There is a crucial miscalculation,” said Serdar Akinan. “The belief that striking Iran will accelerate regime collapse. The opposite is far more likely. Iranian society is deeply fractured—urban youth, women, ethnic minorities, and secular professionals have resisted clerical rule for years. But a direct foreign attack on Tehran would be seen not as liberation but as humiliation, even by many who oppose the regime.”
The death of hundreds, of school girls in a missile attack, are etched in memories of Iranians and people around the world, horrified at what the United States have become. If there was a strategic objective behind Presidential Donimation’s launch of the conflict it remains mostly unexplained. Vague political messaging tries to justify things occasionally.
Israel’s participation is rooted in its long-standing confrontation with Iran. Tehran’s assistance helped Hamas militants in the October 7, 2023 attack that killed more than 1,200 Israelis.
From decades of writing about Trump we understand his approach to any problem: move fast, break things and disavow responsibility. A war certainly qualifies as an effort to obscure the Epstein Files issue. Yet, His wife Melania’s self-serving White House live statement this week reversed slippage in Epstein focus. Heading to the November midterms will Trump take any strategic advice?
Some conservative strategists believe wartime politics historically rally voters behind an embattled president and his party during elections. But rising oil prices, economic disruptions, and increasingly erratic public messaging from the White House challenge that assumption. The MAGA coalition is feeling this as prominent right wing Internet voices have been critical. “They are dopes” Trump responded, then calling them no talent lightweights.
Gasoline prices are likely to surge above $6 per gallon in rural states and $8+ in urban centers during the summer travel season. Even “dopes” filling a 50 gallon SUV tank”recognizes that a $400 fillup is an election issue. If these risks escalate, the war will be irrefutable proof othat an elderly gent with failing emotional, mental and physical issues is destroying America with the impact rippling around the globe.
Trump’s governing style— centered on dominance and confrontation—has defined his presidency. From clashes with immigration lawyers and universities to to pressuring major law firms into pro bono work for government causes, the administration has tested laws and institutional limits. This is true creating the ICE police force of barely trained individuals, precursors of a secret police force.
Beyond the battlefield, the war has significant political implications in the United States. Critics suggest the conflict has served as a diversion from mounting domestic controversies, including renewed scrutiny surrounding the so-called Epstein files.Political pressures mount as polling and recent state elections indicate voters who supported Trump in 2024 may not repeat that choice in the 2026 Congressional midterms. Concerns range from inflation and immigration enforcement tactics to disillusionment among supporters who believed the “America First” agenda would avoid new foreign wars.
Beyond the Middle East, global powers are watching closely. Russian President Vladimir Putin stands to benefit strategically as U.S. attention shifts away from Ukraine. Oil scarcity with higher oil prices expands Russia’s energy revenues and opens new markets. China sees opportunity in a distracted Washington, potentially recalibrating its calculations regarding Taiwan.