The New Yorker: Trump’s War Against Iran Was a 'Strategic Failure and Moral Disaster'
Tehran - BORNA - The report highlights that throughout his presidency, Trump has consistently violated standard norms of behavior, creating a state of emergency for both his country and the world. He has used the keyword "emergency" as a tool for threats, bypassing norms, and expanding his personal power.
The New Yorker notes that Trump’s erratic behavior has escalated over time—from boasting about having a "bigger and more powerful nuclear button" than North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to his 2024 remarks to The Wall Street Journal regarding a potential Chinese blockade of Taiwan. At the time, Trump claimed military action wouldn't be necessary because President Xi Jinping "knows I’m crazy."
However, the magazine observes that his popularity among his "MAGA" base, which endured years of his prejudiced and cruel behavior, is now fading. This shift comes after he initiated military strikes against seven countries, including Iran, within a single year.
The article provides a glimpse into the decision-making process, reporting that on February 11, Trump sat in the Situation Room listening to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justify a coordinated strike against Iran.
Despite significant reservations from high-ranking officials—including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Chief of Staff Dan Cain—Trump proceeded. Rubio had reportedly dismissed the claim that such an attack would lead to regime change in Iran as "nonsense."
The New Yorker asserts that when the dream of an Iranian surrender or an internal uprising failed to materialize after the military strikes, Trump resorted to threatening war crimes against the entire Iranian population, vowing to destroy the nation overnight.
"These were not the words of a strategist, but the words of a madman," the piece states. While some former allies like Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene have reportedly realized the danger he poses, some loyalists in his cabinet and Congress still argue his threats led to a "victory" and the current ceasefire.
The magazine refutes this claim, stating: "This war achieved nothing that could not have been gained through diplomacy or a revived version of the JCPOA. In fact, the 'original sin' was Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018."
In its conclusion, the New Yorker describes the war against Iran as a "strategic failure and a moral disaster." It argues that Trump has decimated America’s international standing. His "irrational controversies" surrounding Greenland, Cuba, and NATO have weakened the alliance’s pre-war position.
By "humiliating Ukraine," Trump has created a vacuum of leadership that adversaries like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are now exploiting, benefiting from the collapse of American global authority and the resulting instability.
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