There is little doubt that this war has not gone as President Trump expected.
I am sure now that he wished he had not started it and his popularity at home and across the world has dropped.
The USA was once considered a beacon of democracy, but not anymore. The damage done to the reputation of the USA could last generations.
It appears President Trump thinks a peace deal in Iran is very close.
I seem to remember he said he could stop the Ukraine war (sorry special military operation) in 24 hours. Four years later we are still waiting....
Politics is complicated and advisors advise for a reason.
It seems to me that this asymmetric war is going nowhere. The best outcome would be de-escalation and a face-saving deal in which both sides feel they have won. The USA clearly has the military might. Iran has the drones.
The war in Iran seems to be, allegedly, without a plan of how it might end.
It is clear that fuel prices across the world have dramatically increased and it is very likely inflation will go up.
In my view, we have seen nothing yet with jet fuel and diesel running short.
Far worse impacts are possible.
Always listen to experts!
News from the Middle East is confusing if nothing else.
The USA claims 2 merchant ships have passed the Strait of Hormuz whereas Iran flatly denies this! In the fog of war we cannot know who is true at the time of writing.
This much is certain. The impact on the world economy is immense. Even if the war stopped tomorrow, it could take a long time (years?) to recover. The USA does not want Iran to ever have a nuclear weapon. Arguably, the USA is a declining world power and China is growing.
To me, it would appear that the USA is looking to exit the Iran war believing it has won. Clearly in this asymmetric war Iran has emerged stronger than many expected. The damage to the world is immense.
This has the potential to be the worst crisis since WW2.
It is clear this crisis is far from over and the Strait of Hormuz remains a pinch point. In my view this war was entered without a clear exit plan.
Oil prices and inflation are likely to remain high. In my view things could get far worse.
Some think President Trump was insane to go to war with Iran. Many were upset by some of his "falling out" with the Pope. Many in the MAGA movement want him not to get involved in foreign wars and concentrate instead on the USA.
Apparently the USA has the "wrong" sort of oil that it is not geared up to refine. So it exports oil and imports oil it can refine!
With the failure of talks in Pakistan tensions are high again with President Trump threatening to blockade Iranian ports. Oil prices are rising again.
Times Radio is being very harsh!
It is disappointing that the peace talks in Pakistan have failed. What is likely to happen now?
Clearly, the immediate future looks more uncertain and markets will be "on edge". This Joe Blogs video may help.
The peace talks in Pakistan have failed. Are we surprised?
I think this leaves President Trump with a problem: neither side (I think) has a real appetite to carry on fighting, yet Iran has arguably come out on top in this asymmetric conflict with a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump has to decide to escalate further or negotiate. He does not like to be beaten, especially when he has already announced victory!
In my view President Trump seriously misjudged the situation. Many regard Iran as an evil state, but was this approach right? The world now suffers.
It will be interesting to see what the next steps are.
Last night I watched a YouTube video about Iran, I had absolutely no idea what a beautiful country this is. It would appear some idiots want to bomb it back to the Stone Age.
We always see a biased version of facts. I am sure, like many countries, Iran has many faults. However, I always find it sad when idiots want to bomb history they don't like out of existence.
I felt this about King Henry VIII, Palmyra in Syria and the Buddhist statues in Afghanistan. There are some very stupid people.
In my mind the USA has made a "pigs dinner" of this war. Both sides claim victory.
The war has cost the USA, allegedly, over $11B so far, which is a colossal amount.
Fuel prices are higher (even in the USA) and inflation is likely to move up. The Strait of Hormuz (which was open before the war) is supposed to be open again .......but Iran controls it and will probably charge a toll.
Yes, we may have set back Iran making missiles and nuclear weapons a bit. Has the USA gained any friends? I doubt it; they may well have lost a few. Iran still has low cost drones and control over the Straight of Hormuz. US victory? Hmmm.
On Sunday, the US president published an expletive laden post on Truth Social, threatening Iran with dire consequences if the Strait of Hormuz was not re-opened.
In my personal view, this was not the sort of post I would have expected by a US president.
Many consider attacks against civilian targets a war crime. This would be contested I expect.
In my view, this will make the Iranian people more angry and less likely to side with the USA. If you dislike a regime in power, why take it out on ordinary folk?
What is certain is that this is an asymmetric war with might against cunning.
I fail to understand why people cannot live in peace and harmony with everyone. Wars cost a great deal and rarely achieve much good. The common person rarely really wants war. Those that stand to gain have shares in companies supplying weapons and ammunition.
As I write this the war in Iran could go either way.
On the one hand President Trump could be angered by the loss of that airman and escalate the war. He is in danger of committing war crimes to say nothing of Iran’s backlash.
Alternatively, he may fear the backlash at home and just walk away and de-escalate.
We’ll see.
It would appear that the world is entering recession, has higher fuel costs and Iran will emerge stronger and the USA weaker.
Iran is considered an evil state, but if a war is undertaken it is wise to think about how it might end.
