The is the biggest bet of his presidency, which can influence from the mid-term elections in November until his posthumous.
By sending the military to the other side of the world to topple the regime in , stop it and prevent it from acquiring ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US, the US president has gone against what he has stood for and built his political career on: no perpetual wars, no involvement of US armed forces in faraway places, America First.
8 attacks in 13 months by the “peacemaker” Trump
Isolationist in ideology (“doctrine” advocating US centralization in the Americas), “peacemaker” in words (claims to have “ended eight wars”) but in practice, all too eager to impose American power abroad. US analysts counted yesterday’s attack on Iran as the eighth time the president has ordered military action abroad in 13 months into his second term.
In the US, Republicans generally praise the president for the military operation in Iran, a country they have seen for decades as hostile and threatening to the US. Democrats warn that Trump is dragging the country into a protracted war on .
Along with a small group of Republicans in the House and Senate, they plan to hold a congressional vote this week to limit the president’s moves to launch a war without first seeking legislative approval.
Maga split
The Make America Great Again movement is divided, with many accusing the president of “crossing over to the camp of neoconservatives” whom he once rejected. “He’s always lying and always putting America last,” said former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, Republican of Georgia and a leading MAGA figure.
On the other hand, many Republicans support action against Iran on the grounds that this war will spare the US from worse wars in the future as it paves the way for a more American-friendly Middle East.
In the fire of Tehran, the future of Trump – The bet that can burn him
Whether Trump wins the bet will depend not only on the success of the military operation but also on what comes next. If the regime is overthrown and Iran returns to the international community, the US president will have accomplished something that all his predecessors have failed to do.
But if the succession situation in Tehran continues to be hostile to the US, or if Iran descends into chaos, things will be more difficult for Trump domestically. And it will be even more difficult if prolonged US military action is required in the Middle East.
The death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme religious leader, is a very important development, but Trump cannot influence what happens next in Tehran from Washington.
A prolonged conflict in the region could also affect regional issues such as the reconstruction of Gaza, as well as US relations with its allies in the region.
