Trump, humiliated by the Iranians and by Netanyahu
BarcelonaThe decision to start a war with Iran, led by Israel on February 28, is proving to be a real trap for Donald Trump, who more than 100 days later has still not found a way out. Far from the speed and military success of the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, the ayatollahs' regime has proven to be a much more formidable adversary, capable of regenerating itself from the blows it has received.
At first, Trump was humiliated by the Iranians when they blocked the Strait of Hormuz, and it was shown that the United States was unable to reopen it. This led Washington to halt the attacks and initiate talks with Tehran, a decision that did not please Benjamin Netanyahu at all, who was in favor of total war against Iran and its allies, such as Hezbollah. Trump also forced Tel Aviv to stop the attacks, but little by little Netanyahu, who has elections in October, has been reactivating them on his own in Lebanon, jeopardizing the talks between Washington and Tehran.
The tension between the two erupted last week in a telephone conversation in which Trump told Netanyahu pearls such as "you are crazy," "if it weren't for me, you would be in prison," and "everyone hates you." But these insults, as expected, have been of no use. In the last few hours, Netanyahu has continued bombing southern Lebanon, which leaves Trump in a bind. The President of the United States, therefore, has suffered a double humiliation in this war.
The problem for Trump is that within the United States itself, the opinion is growing that he has become a puppet of Israel and that he does not have enough courage to make Netanyahu comply. This is lethal for Trump's image, which is based on projecting himself as an alpha male who no one dares to contradict. In the Middle East, however, Trump has found that he cannot do as he pleases and that both his enemies and his theoretical allies act without asking his permission. The entire Trump narrative is hanging by a thread right now in the Persian Gulf.
The question is how long Trump can withstand both Netanyahu's defiant attitude and the blockade of Hormuz, two issues that are undermining his credibility in the United States and reducing the chances for Republican candidates who will be running for a seat in the Senate or House of Representatives in November. An agreement with Tehran, very different from the one Obama achieved in his day, and which he revoked, seems difficult, as the Iranians consider themselves to be in a position of strength. And the alternative of reactivating the war also does not seem like an attractive option for a president who promised he would do exactly the opposite. The option of breaking with Israel still seems more distant, as the alliance with Zionist and far-right sectors is strategic for the MAGA movement. The conclusion is that Trump made a catastrophic mistake for his own interests.
