If an unprovoked barrage of bombs on three nuclear sites in Iran wasn’t enough, Trump then berates the country’s response, calling it “very weak.” Moreover, on Truth Social he wrote that “Iran has officially responded to our obliteration of their nuclear facilities…which we expected, and have very effectively countered.”
He boasted that of the 14 missiles launched by Iran on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in retaliation, 13 were knocked down and one set free “because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction.” None of this has been independently confirmed.
The attack on Iran was done without approval from Congress, which has to be consulted in an act of war. But as we know so well, Trump needs no consent from elected officials, particularly when he can sign off his speech thanking God, and this has caused further ripples from Democrats and Republicans. Trump, a self-proclaimed non-denominational Christian, cited God several times in his brief speech on Saturday following what he deemed a “spectacular military success.” He said “God, I just want to say, we love you God, and we love our great military.”
The political and military complexity in the Middle East has obviously been given a dramatic and unpredictable turn, one that will no doubt embolden Israel as it sends a destructive message to Iran and its proxies.
For a leader who repeatedly stresses not to engage in warfare, this is another Trump contradiction and it could be one that brings us ever closer to the brink of a wider and more devastating conflict. The Middle East is burdened with a multitude of irresolvable problems and now that the U.S. has stepped into the mess, things are sure to get messier, and bloodier.