For the majority of his political career, Donald Trump was against involvement in foreign conflicts. He even said in his inauguration speech that being a “peacemaker and unifier” will be his legacy. But he is close to tarnishing it forever if he decides to get involved in Israel’s ongoing military action against Iran. The much bigger issue is that he isn’t capable of leading the U.S. in another Middle East war.
Trump Changes His Mind Frequently and is Easily Persuaded
Trump changes his mind all the time, which is never a good thing in a crisis. Before Israel’s attacks, he was set on a diplomatic approach and achieving an agreement about Iran’s nuclear program. Then, after Israel’s early success, he quickly rushed to claim some credit and called for “unconditional surrender” of Iran and said his patience was “wearing thin.” More recently, Trump said he is still undecided on U.S. military action and will make a decision in the next few weeks.
Trump is also easily persuaded. The New York Times reports that he expressed disapproval of the attack on Iran to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as late as May. But in recent weeks, Trump was successfully convinced to first give his silent approval and then share it publicly.
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Israel Desperately Needs U.S. to Defeat Iran
Israel claims that the goal of attacking Iran is to destroy the country’s nuclear program. However, only the U.S. has missiles capable of reaching Iran’s underground nuclear facilities. This means Israel needs their closest ally to get involved, and that is looking more probable with each passing day.
Reports indicate that American forces are already ramping up their presence in the Middle East. Additionally, it seems like Trump already approved plans to attack Iran but has yet to give the green light to see whether the country’s leadership will accept his terms.
U.S. Has No Place Getting Involved
Despite Trump’s sudden urge to go to war, the truth is that the U.S. has no place getting involved. Attacking Iran would have much bigger consequences than previous American military actions in the Middle East. For starters, Iran would certainly respond with much greater force while likely targeting American military bases in the region. Additionally, even if the operation is successful, it would open a can of worms in the form of cyber attacks and terrorism that would impact ordinary Americans.
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