The Stayatollahs

100 days of the Iran war show many US mistakes. Trump should fire some advisers

This is a war almost nobody wanted, except Israel. But now the US-Israel war against Iran has gone on for 100 days, and nobody knows when it will end.

That shows the plan was very bad.

In these 100 days, many people have died, many more have been forced to leave their homes, and the world economy has been badly hurt. One big reason is that the Strait of Hormuz, an important sea route for oil and gas, has been shut.

The war started without much common sense. Now it has become a fight of pride, where neither side wants to look weak or step back.

The US plan began to fail when Iran’s government survived the first attack. Washington thought Iran’s rulers might quickly fall apart. But that was a big mistake.

Iran is not like Libya. It has survived more than 40 years of sanctions. Its government is harsh, but it also knows how to survive. By attacking Iran, the US gave Iran’s rulers a reason to fight back. This also helped them bring their supporters together. So instead of weakening the Iranian government, the attack may have helped it stay in power.

Israel, meanwhile, seems to have its own plan. It is attacking Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. A ceasefire there did not last long. Israel is also increasing attacks in Gaza, even though there was a ceasefire last October. It has even shown that it may carry out limited attacks in Syria.

The idea of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine now looks badly damaged. Israel may also be preparing for future fights, possibly even with Türkiye. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also faces elections later this year, and he seems to be encouraging the far-right dream of a “Greater Israel.”

So now the situation is like a dangerous standoff.

Iran is using the Strait of Hormuz as a weapon, blocking a huge share of the world’s oil and gas supplies. The US is blocking Iranian ports in return. Iran sometimes attacks Gulf countries like Kuwait and Bahrain to show it can still hit back. Gulf Arab countries are unhappy and want Iran to calm down.

Israel wants the US to finish the fight in West Asia. So it keeps taking risks with ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, which angers Iran.

The US might have done better if it had first threatened to block Iran and then offered talks, instead of attacking right away. Iran may have had reasons to negotiate. This could even have become a diplomatic success for Washington.

That is why Trump should bring back his old TV catchphrase and start firing some advisers. It might actually help the world.