Trump's Iran war: Without strategy, there is no path to victory

US President Donald Trump's approach to Iran has been marked by escalation and negotiation, with no clear path to victory. According to Haaretz, Trump misread his adversary and failed to define clear parameters for winning, resulting in an endless cycle of escalation and negotiation. Iran's position in Hormuz has solidified as a result.

Trump's safety has been a concern, with France 24 and The Times of Israel reporting that he was secretly spirited away from Air Force One in Turkey due to an Iranian assassination threat. The incident involved Trump boarding a smaller jet on the tarmac in Ankara, with even White House staff unaware.

The US has turned to economic pressure, with Trump adopting a "wait and see" strategy, according to The Jerusalem Post. The approach involves giving financial sanctions and the US naval blockade of Iranian ports more time to damage the country's economy. Trump has publicly stated that Iran is "broke, completely broke", and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that the administration's economic policy has sent the Iranian currency into a "free fall".

Brief written by urgent.news from Haaretz, France 24, The Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.