Trump Wants Out, but Iran Shuts the Door

Trump wants out of Iran war - but how much choice does he really have

Israel and America got into war with Iran with the express purpose of obliterating it once and for all.

It was Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s 40-year dream to attack Iran in an all-out war with its unconditionally reliable partner America by its side. Unknown to them both, Iran had been expecting and anticipating just such an existential threat from the two of the most aggressive and destructive nations to have shaped the entire Middle East and North Africa in modern times. Especially, after the horrific open genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza that no one had the nerve to try and stop, even as Israel carried it out brazenly with the whole world watching - and with the ever committed America providing Israel shameless and unchallenged cover.

When Israel and America came for Iran, to ensure that this time they would destroy Iran in its entirety - rather than cower, flinch or surrender, Iran let them in, and then shut the door, to lock themselves into a fight to the finish. Through Iran, Israel’s and America’s mettle is going to be tested as they face another nation willing to go all the way, in spite of the overwhelming unevenness of their military and economic power. 

In the middle of ‘productive’ negotiations, regarding Iran’s nuclear programs, and without warning, on February 28, 2026, Israel and the US launched massive bombing attacks against Iran with the express purpose of inflicting maximum damage to its key military and governing infrastructure, and to decapitate its leadership in a bid to effect regime change. In both those initial critical missions they succeeded completely.

They bombed the capital city Tehran and other cities relentlessly, destroyed vital infrastructure, and killed civilians, including little girls by bombing their elementary school, and they targeted and killed Iran’s top leaders, including the supreme leader Ali al Khamenei, and they effectively targeted Iran’s ammunition and missile bases, nuclear facilities, and their air force, navy and army assets.

Iran absorbed all the hits from the two most powerful military nations on earth and countered with missile and drone bombings of Israel, and American assets in the region. It did not die and it did not surrender.

Most importantly, Iran did not flinch or back down. In fact, it let be known to the world that it had anticipated the treachery from Israel and America, as it was the second time they had been attacked in the middle of ‘negotiations’, and this time they were prepared and welcomed the existential fight – because they knew it was the only way to finally get out from under the yoke of Israel and America’s decades-long harassment, bullying and lethal strikes, attempts at total subjugation, regime determination, culture capitulation and servile compliance, and inevitable resource plundering; in this case Iran's vast oil and natural gas deposits.

Iran also let it be known that this time it was going to settle the fight for good, regardless of the cost, as it had withstood unprovoked infrastructure attacks, leadership assassinations, both civilian and military, false propaganda, lies and vilification, and crushing economic sanctions for far too many decades, and wanted to put an end to it all one way or the other. And, even though Iran didn’t start this war, they were determined to finish it.

And that is where, in that Iranian fatalistic mindset, Trump has found himself trapped. Being a famously 'transactional guy', Trump cannot ever envision sacrificing everything on principles, however noble the cause.

So, instead of a ‘little weekend excursion’, Trump has found himself in a real fight, with an adversary determined not to ask for, nor give any quarters, and with an ally in Israel whose mission has grown from establishing a foothold in an ancient and ancestral albeit far-fetched claim on Palestine land, to total and unchallenged domination of the entire Middle East, known internally in Israel as the ‘Greater Israel Project’.

Donald Trump has no stomach for such high-minded existential causes from both sides; all he had signed-up for, on the urgings of his near family-friends-donors-supporters, and of course Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was a quick glory soaked decisive military excursion that would cement his growing reputation for fast military missions with big pay-offs, like the Venezuela gambit of kidnapping the President, Nicholas Maduro, and gaining control of its vast oil wealth.

To Trump, Iran presented a very similar glory soaked political opportunity, and of course oil and gas. 

As Israel and America have pounded Iran day and night and escalated their attacks to ever more critical infrastructure, Iran has been with them step by step, carefully escalating in proportion to what it was receiving.

Where Iran seemed to have caught most people, and certainly Trump, by surprise was its decision to attack, with precision the neighbouring Gulf countries, within which were located American military bases and their critical military assets, such as expensive and high-powered radar that were the eyes and ears in the region, for both the US and Israel in the waging of this war with Iran.

And, Iran in deciding to fight smart and long, considering its significantly smaller size and strength, militarily and economically to Israel and America, went for the jugular of the global economy, by closing the Strait of Hormuz through which 20% to 30% of oil and natural gas needed by Asia and Europe, sails through.

This choke-point was the world’s Achilles-heel, and Iran crippled and then controlled it.

It was an eminently sensible and effective thing to do considering Iran was fighting an asymmetrical war with all the advantages, military, economic and technological, that lay with its enemies, the US and Israel, and their sycophantic western governments that initially, and automatically supported Israel and the US as they had done for decades, without question. But as backlash against this war built globally, primarily with the public, most of the western countries started backing up and started to hedge their support for this 'illegal' war.

Israel and America got into this to-the-death-war with Iran with the express purpose of obliterating it once and for all. It was Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s 40 year dream to attack Iran in an all-out war with its unconditionally reliable partner America by its side.

Unknown to them both, Iran had been expecting and anticipating just such an existential threat from the two most aggressive and destructive nations to have shaped the entire Middle East and North Africa in modern times, especially after the horrific open genocide of Palestinian people in Gaza, that no one had the nerve to try and stop even as Israel carried it out openly, with the US providing shameless and unchallenged cover.

When Israel and America came for Iran, to ensure that this time they would destroy Iran in its entirety - rather than cower, flinch or surrender, Iran let them in, and then shut the door, to lock themselves in a fight to the death. Through Iran, Israel’s and America’s mettle is going to be tested as they face another nation willing to go all the way, in spite of the overwhelming unevenness of their military and economic power. 

In the middle of ‘productive’ negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear programs, without warning, on February 28, 2026, Israel and the US launched massive bombing attacks against Iran with the express purpose of inflicting maximum damage to its key military and governing infrastructure, and decapitating its leadership in a bid to effect regime change. In both of those initial critical missions they succeeded completely.

They bombed the capital city Tehran and other cities relentlessly, destroyed vital infrastructure, and killed civilians, including little girls by bombing their elementary school, they targeted and killed Iran’s top leaders, including the Supreme leader Ali al Khamenei, and they effectively targeted Iran’s ammunition and missile bases, nuclear facilities, and their air force, navy and army assets.

Iran absorbed all the hits from the two most powerful military nations on earth and countered with missile and drone bombings of Israel and American assets in the region. It did not die and it did not surrender.

Most importantly, Iran did not flinch or back down. In fact, it let be known to the world that it had anticipated the treachery, as it was the second time they had been attacked in the middle of ‘negotiations’, and this time they were prepared and welcomed the existential fight – because they knew it was the only way to finally escape the decades of persecution from Israel and America. Iran wanted to put an end to decades of attacks, harassment, bullying and lethal strikes, attempts at total subjugation, regime change, and economic strangulation.

Iran also let it be known that this time it was going to settle the fight for good, regardless of the cost, as it had withstood unprovoked infrastructure attacks, leadership assassinations, both civilian and military, false accusations, propaganda, lies and vilification, and crushing economic sanctions for far too many decades, and wanted to put an end to it one way or the other. And even though Iran didn’t start this war, they were determined to finish it whatever the costs.

And that is where Trump found himself trapped.

Instead of a ‘little weekend excursion’, Trump has found himself in a real fight, with an adversary determined not to ask for, nor give any quarters, and with an ally in Israel whose mission has grown from establishing a foothold in an ancient and ancestral albeit far-fetched claim on Palestine land, to total and unchallenged domination of the entire Middle East, known internally in Israel as the ‘Greater Israel Project’.

Donald Trump had no stomach for such existential causes from both sides, all he had signed-up for, on the urgings of his near family/friends/donors/supporters and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was a quick glory soaked decisive military excursion that would cement his growing reputation for fast military missions with big pay-offs, like the Venezuela gambit of kidnapping its President Nicholas Maduro, and gaining control of its vast oil wealth.

To Trump, Iran presented a very similar golden-tinged glory soaked opportunity.

As Israel and America have pounded Iran day and night and escalated their attacks to ever more critical infrastructure, Iran has been with them step by step, carefully escalating in proportion to what it was receiving.

Where Iran seemed to have caught most people, and certainly Trump by surprise was its decision to attack, with precision American bases and its critical military assets, such as radar that were its, and Israel’s, eyes and ears in the region, and particularly for this war with Iran, in the neighbouring Gulf countries.

And, Iran in deciding to fight smart, considering its disproportionately smaller size and strength, militarily and economically to Israel and America, it went for the jugular of the global economy, by closing the Strait of Hormuz through which 20% to 30% of oil needed by Asia and Europe, and natural gas sails through. This choke-point was the world’s Achilles-heel and Iran crippled and choked it.

It was an eminently sensible and effective thing to do considering Iran was fighting an asymmetrical war with all the advantages, military, economic and technological, that lay with its enemies, the US and Israel, and their sycophantic western governments.

By destroying American military installations in the neighbouring Gulf countries quickly and efficiently, Iran sent a twofold message, that, to support the US and Israel against Iran was going to exact a heavy price; and two, that Iran was willing to destroy the Gulf economies and their survivability, depending on how much damage it had to sustain on its own critical infrastructure.

By demonstrating their capability to carry out those actions,  Iran also threatened the global economy and American hegemony because of those things are tied to the oil and gas coming out of that region.

One has to keep in mind that Iran is not doing any of these things because that was what it had been wanting to do for its own ambitions. It is doing what it must, to defend itself, even as Israel with its grandiose vision to be ‘Greater Israel’, and the weekend warrior Donald Trump, craving for more power and glory, decided it a good idea to obliterate Iran in its present form as that would suit their own personal ambitions.

Iran has withstood Israel and American military power to date. It is willing to take all the destruction that Israel and American can inflict upon it. But, it is not willing to go back to status quo, where its sacrifices to date are in vein as a truce is called; as it was last year after the 12 day war between the three when Israel started to run out of its defensive missiles and asked the US to call a halt, till both it and the US rearmed and attacked again.

This time Iran has already taken significant damage, both in personnel and assets. It is willing to take that in return for the chance to put Israel in military jeopardy, and the US in financial and economic jeopardy through global economic melt-down.

This is what the experts are calling asymmetrical-warfare; where one side being so much weaker than its enemy or enemies, resorts to fighting not by matching force to force, but by fighting at angles and by exerting pressures at weak-points, nerve centres and vulnerabilities that were not recognized by its adversaries, and were therefore left exposed.

Iran’s attacks on the Gulf States and its capabilities to inflict damage to their vital energy and life infrastructure, like desalination plants, are so dangerous that the mere threat of them makes even reckless leaders like Trump hold his threats, and start to make conciliatory noises and propose possible terms for a ceasefire and a truce.

But this time Iran has responded in no uncertain terms, it will only stop fighting if it gets Israel and America to guarantee its safety, its permanent security, and full reparations for all the damage done to it by both the countries. The chances of a truce look incredibly slim, but also, this time Its Iran which is in no hurry to quit the fight.  

Trump Wants Out, but Iran Shuts the Door - March 25, 2026