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Trump defends Iran war strategy amid growing criticism

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Donald Trump has pushed back against mounting criticism of his administration’s military campaign against Iran, as the conflict widens and some allies question whether the operation aligns with his “America First” pledge.

“I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground — like every president says, ‘There will be no boots on the ground.’ I don’t say it,” Trump said at a White House event. “I say ‘probably don’t need them,’ (or) ‘if they were necessary.’”

The president and senior aides defended the approach as Iran continued retaliatory drone and missile strikes against Israel, US bases and Gulf states. Israel and Hezbollah also exchanged fire, opening another front.

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Unease among allies

Trump returned to office pledging to avoid “forever wars” and long criticised nation-building and regime change. But the current conflict has unsettled parts of his political base.

Erik Prince, a longtime Trump ally, said on War Room that he was “disappointed” and warned the operation would “uncork a significant can of worms”.

Other conservative voices, including commentator Tucker Carlson, have also questioned the decision to strike Iran.

Still, many Republican lawmakers have rallied behind the president. Representative Tim Burchett said Iran were “bad actors” who had supplied weapons to Hezbollah and killed Americans, and rejected the idea of a major split within the movement.

Timeline and casualties

Trump described the joint US-Israeli campaign as “substantially ahead of schedule”, estimating it could meet objectives within four to five weeks, though he cautioned it might take longer.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was less specific, saying the timeline could shift.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine said the US military expected further casualties. As of Monday, six US service members had been killed in action, with others seriously injured during Iranian retaliatory strikes.

Regime change questions

The administration has not detailed who it would support to lead Iran following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior figures.

Trump has called on Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps to lay down its arms but has not committed to backing opposition groups. Analysts note that air power alone rarely produces regime change.

Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute suggested the administration may instead accept “regime collapse” or “regime implosion”, allowing it to distance itself from long-term consequences.

Meanwhile, Israel is reportedly pressing for a sustained operation. Daniel Shapiro, a former US ambassador to Israel now at the Atlantic Council, said Israeli leaders may worry Trump could “declare victory” too early.

Intelligence and nuclear claims

Administration officials told congressional staff that intelligence did not indicate Iran was preparing an imminent strike on the US, though broader regional threats remained.

Trump has argued action was necessary because Iran was seeking long-range ballistic missiles. Tehran has not acknowledged such a programme. A US Defense Intelligence Agency report last year said Iran could develop an intercontinental missile by 2035 if it chose to pursue one.

Rafael Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran has an “ambitious” nuclear programme but no active nuclear weapons programme. Iran has not allowed inspectors to revisit damaged sites.

Kelsey Davenport of the Arms Control Association warned that “regime change is not a viable nonproliferation strategy”, arguing Iran’s nuclear knowledge “cannot be bombed away”.

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now · Source · 02.03 2026


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  • MikeandDow
    MikeandDow

    The Americans voted on this crazy nutter!! you reap what you sow

  • kwilco
    kwilco

    Trump eases fossil fuel rules at home, talks about U.S. control of Venezuelan oil production, then escalates conflict with Iran knowing Hormuz would likely close. When you connect those dots, it raise

  • cjinchiangrai
    cjinchiangrai

    It is about Epstein. There is no strategic plan.

Posted Images

  • Popular Post

Trump eases fossil fuel rules at home, talks about U.S. control of Venezuelan oil production, then escalates conflict with Iran knowing Hormuz would likely close.
When you connect those dots, it raises a serious question.
Was this really about regime change — or about reshaping global oil supply and control?
The timing makes the energy angle hard to ignore.

  • Popular Post

The Americans voted on this crazy nutter!! you reap what you sow

  • Popular Post

The timing of this war needs explaining.

Trump knows that, if the polls are correct and remain so between now and November, the GOP may well lose control of the House (or even the Senate) in the mid-terms. However, a definite and easily visible "victory" for the US and Israel would lead to possible GOP gains.

A risky strategy (if even it is a strategy at all), since it seems 100% likely that no Iranian opposition will emerge in so short a time to assume the government of the country.

And who is funding the war??? The American taxpayer is already maxed out....

3 hours ago, kwilco said:

Trump eases fossil fuel rules at home, talks about U.S. control of Venezuelan oil production, then escalates conflict with Iran knowing Hormuz would likely close.
When you connect those dots, it raises a serious question.
Was this really about regime change — or about reshaping global oil supply and control?
The timing makes the energy angle hard to ignore.

The closing of the Straights of Hormuz will be temporary. One of the things Trump wants is a permanent halt of Iranian oil to China.

  • Popular Post

Well we know Don that if you say it it's likely to be untrue, and you've given us no reasons whatsoever to be able to trust anything you do or say.

And now you've gotten us involved in another overseas adventure, which you spent 18 months promising you wouldn't do, and it's costing upwards of a billion dollars a day. Perhaps we would find some solace in the possibility that you have an end game in mind? Most of us feel that you're too dense to have thought it through, and using a Boy Scout leader as SEC DEF is not giving us much confidence.

US forces spent an estimated $779 million, or about 0.1% of the entire 2026 US defense budget, during the opening 24 hours of its offensive against Iran, according to estimates and data compiled by Anadolu, Anadolu reports.

The US’ CENTCOM confirmed that the massive deployment included B-2 stealth bombers, F-22, F-35, and F-16 fighter jets, A-10 attack aircraft, and EA-18G electronic warfare planes. The operation also utilized MQ-9 Reaper drones, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, guided-missile destroyers, and Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems.

Four B-2 stealth bombers, flying non-stop from Whiteman Air Force Base in the US state of Missouri, struck targets using 2,000-pound (907-kilogram) Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), according to CENTCOM. Known for high maintenance requirements and a 40,000-lb (18,143-kg) payload capacity, the B-2 operations alone accounted for an estimated $30.2 million, based on flight hours, maintenance costs, and munition requisitions data from the US Defense Department’s 2025 and 2026 budget requests.

CENTCOM’s buildup of various fighter jets of F-18s, F-16s, F-22s, and F35s contributed to the initial strikes, according to a post by CENTCOM on US social media company X. Based on flight hours, maintenance costs, and munition requisitions data from the 2025 and 2026 US department budget requests, these sorties cost an estimated $271.34 million.

Specialized aircraft, including the EA-18G Growler, A-10C Thunderbolt, and the MQ-9 Reaper, played a critical role alongside the Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS). When factoring in P-8 Maritime Patrol aircraft, RC-135 reconnaissance planes, and aerial refueling tankers, as well as land-based HIMARS batteries, the cost for the combined air and ground assets, including the fighter jets, reached approximately $423.57 million.

The two US carrier groups in the region, the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford, also took part in the attack. The cost of operating the aircraft carriers along with their contingent of destroyers and littoral combat ships is estimated to come to $15 million a day.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260302-us-offensive-on-iran-burned-through-an-estimated-779m-on-first-day/

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  • Popular Post

The attack on Iran has been Netanyahu’s wet dream for 40 years ( his admission) and he found a willing ally in Trump to foolishly support his yearning. There were hints from Marco that Israel strike first and told Trump to step up his unwavering support. Allies around the region were caught off-guard and were not consulted as traditional required.

Israel Patriot missiles are exhaustible and US House is in a panic and called on the defence industry to step up production. If this war dragged on, the defense mustered by US, Israel and Middle East allies will be vulnerable to the newer hypersonic missiles that Iran have developed.

The economic pressure from the war will weighed on US and the inexhaustible investments for AI from Middle East allies will dried up and will crush the Nasdaq. All told, the longer this war goes on, the more unlikely US will win.

  • Popular Post
4 hours ago, dinsdale said:

The closing of the Straights of Hormuz will be temporary. One of the things Trump wants is a permanent halt of Iranian oil to China.

Incredible that so far I've got 3 thumbs down for this. This is very much about China although not totally. Seems at least 3 members on here know nothing about global strategic policy. Venezuelan oil to China has ceased and IF this attack on Iran ends in a more cooperative Iran with the US, Iranian oil to China will also cease and China is dependent on oil imports.

  • Popular Post
17 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Incredible that so far I've got 3 thumbs down for this. This is very much about China although not totally. Seems at least 3 members on here know nothing about global strategic policy. Venezuelan oil to China has ceased and IF this attack on Iran ends in a more cooperative Iran with the US, Iranian oil to China will also cease and China is dependent on oil imports.

Hope you realise Saudi Arabia supplies more oil to China than Iran, or are they next on the list for takeover?

  • Popular Post

Unintended consequences.

I saw something this morning saying that there is a possibility the Iranians, having had years to study and prepare for such attacks, might target the water desalination plants in the Gulf Coast Countries. This along with the closing of the Straits of Hormuz, that carries food as well as oil, could really put pressure on those countries, who are all heavily invested in the US markets and AI balloon.

A few of these US AI companies are looking at building AI data centres in the region due to cheap energy.

This could all be put at risk and put more pressure on US stock markets, and the petrodollar.

2 minutes ago, Jeff the Chef said:

Hope you realise Saudi Arabia supplies more oil to China than Iran, or are they next on the list for takeover?

From AI

China is the world's largest importer of Iranian oil, purchasing an average of approximately1.38 to 1.4 million barrels per day(bpd) in 2025 and early 2026, which represents over 80% of Iran's total crude exports. This volume accounts for roughly 13% to 17% of China's total seaborne oil imports.

As of early 2026, Saudi Arabia is one of China's top crude oil suppliers, delivering approximately 1.57 to 1.87 million barrels per day (bpd). Saudi Arabia accounts for roughly 14% of China’s total crude oil imports. While Russia has recently surpassed Saudi Arabia to become China's largest supplier, Saudi Arabia remains a critical, high-volume energy source for China.

Strait of Hormuz is open only to Russian and Chinese shipping, closed to all else. So guess who the GCC countries only customer for their seaborne oil and gas is?

  • Popular Post

US war strategy: We'll fight Russia to the last Ukrainian.

Israel war strategy: We'll fight Iran to the last American.

  • Popular Post
50 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Incredible that so far I've got 3 thumbs down for this. This is very much about China although not totally. Seems at least 3 members on here know nothing about global strategic policy. Venezuelan oil to China has ceased and IF this attack on Iran ends in a more cooperative Iran with the US, Iranian oil to China will also cease and China is dependent on oil imports.

It is about Epstein. There is no strategic plan.

10 minutes ago, cjinchiangrai said:

It is about Epstein. There is no strategic plan.

Why would Trump start a war to distract attention away from Bill Clinton?

  • Popular Post
1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

Incredible that so far I've got 3 thumbs down for this. This is very much about China although not totally. Seems at least 3 members on here know nothing about global strategic policy. Venezuelan oil to China has ceased and IF this attack on Iran ends in a more cooperative Iran with the US, Iranian oil to China will also cease and China is dependent on oil imports.

China only gets 13-15% of its seaborne oil from Iran. Saudi Arabia and Iraq provide more, and of course your favourite regime run by the murderous Putin, provides the most.

24 minutes ago, Autocan said:

US war strategy: We'll fight Russia to the last Ukrainian.

I believe that's the EU strategy.

Just now, bannork said:

China only gets 13-15% of its seaborne oil from Iran. Saudi Arabia and Iraq provide more, and of course your favourite regime run by the murderous Putin, provides the most.

Yes, Russia supplies China and that's on the increase and Trump wants to move Russia away from China. China is the No.1 threat.

15 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Yes, Russia supplies China and that's on the increase and Trump wants to move Russia away from China. China is the No.1 threat.

15 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

China is the No.1 threat, to what?

  • Popular Post
10 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Why would Trump start a war to distract attention away from Bill Clinton?

For much the same reason that Trump apologists attempt to distract away from his 38.000 heavily (so far) redacted mentions in the Epstein files by inferring that it’s all about Clinton.

It ain’t. It’s all about Trump and Epstein.

Sadly, many innocent people have died and will die to save Trump from facing justice.

  • Popular Post
1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

Why would Trump start a war to distract attention away from Bill Clinton?

Why would Trump claim the files were destroyed by Iranian nukes.

  • Popular Post

Find it fascinating, there's no discussion about the 30,000 Iranians killed in two days, their human rights record, jihadist support for terrorist organisations. Death to America has been their foreign policy for over 40 years.

I don't know how some of you folk can blithely ignore all this. Amazing.

Oh, but then it is Trump after all.

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https://www.reuters.com/article/economy/clinton-says-us-could-totally-obliterate-iran-idUSN22243327/

Clinton says U.S. could 'totally obliterate' Iran

By Reuters

April 22, 20088:24 PM GMT+7Updated April 22, 2008

WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton warned Tehran on Tuesday that if she were president, the United States could "totally obliterate" Iran in retaliation for a nuclear strike against Israel.

On the day of a crucial vote in her nomination battle against fellow Democrat Barack Obama, the New York senator said she wanted Iranians to know what she was prepared to do as president in hopes of deterring an Iranian nuclear attack on Israel.

"I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the president, we will attack Iran," Clinton said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."

11 minutes ago, Donga said:

Find it fascinating, there's no discussion about the 30,000 Iranians killed in two days, their human rights record, jihadist support for terrorist organisations.

3000 killed, all names published by the govt., mostly by Mossad recruits on the ground who were caught (and presumably executed) when Starlink was hacked and the protests immediately died down.

The only terrorist org in that part of the world is the IDF committing genocide. Hamas is about as much a terrorist entity as Mandela's ANC was. They are freedom fighters battling apartheid and oppression, like ANC was.

17 minutes ago, Donga said:

Death to America has been their foreign policy for over 40 years.

As it should be, given:

The US overthrew their democratically elected govt. in 1953 and installed the puppet Shah who ruled with his hated secret police Savak while handing over Iran's oil to western companies.

The US pushed and armed Saddam (including with chemical weapons) to fight the 7-year Iraq-Iran war which killed nearly a million Iranians.

The CIA constantly incites unrest amongst Iranian minorities like the Kurds and Balochis and Azeris.

Oh, almost forgot, the US Navy shot down an Iranian civilian airliner in 1988 killing nearly 300.

One may not like Iran's theocracy but death to America makes total sense from their POV.

  • Popular Post

The regime in Iran is utterly loathsome. It will never go away of it's own accord. Just not sure how it can be demolished without massive numbers of foreign military boots on the ground.

8 hours ago, dinsdale said:

The closing of the Straights of Hormuz will be temporary. One of the things Trump wants is a permanent halt of Iranian oil to China.

How temporary is anyone's guess.

  • Popular Post

The fact is that Trump likes to manipulate markets so that way he makes money.

For instance, Thailand is HEAVILY reliant on LNG and has a huge investment at Map Ta Phut in this – the price has leapt 40% in 2 days – as he now controls a huge slice of the world's fossil fuel supplies, he is in a great position to bully other countries into supply deals. (Thailand's fuel supplies are re-estimated at 60 days.)

Trump still sees oil as a tool of power leverage – this is actually a bit archaic, but he is trying to revive an oil-based energy market both at home and worldwide. Unfortunately, he is heavily prejudiced against sustainable fuels, and countries that are developing these will be outside his influence – primarily this is China, which is way ahead of him.

Also Russia (a dictator he has chosen to ignore) has enough fuel to be totally independent of his shenanigans.

However distasteful you may consider the Iranian leaders to be, they certainly didn't pose a "real and present threat" any more than Venezuela did – these are small easy targets that help in his world domination ego trip. He no longer has the unquestioning support of Europe; he just hopes oil will give him leverage.

  • Popular Post
16 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

The regime in Iran is utterly loathsome. It will never go away of it's own accord. Just not sure how it can be demolished without massive numbers of foreign military boots on the ground.

So are Putin, Kim Jong Un, and Min Aung Hlaing, but he hasn't done much about them. His motives are not altruistic, are they?

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