Trump's war with Iran is spiraling beyond his control due to Netanyahu's manipulation and his own incompetence
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/simontisdall. "Behind the bombast, Trump will be worried: when he tries to stop the war on Iran, will anyone listen? | Simon Tisdall | The Guardian." March 20, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
The author argues that Trump got tricked by Netanyahu into starting a war with Iran that's now spinning out of control. Even though Trump is president, Netanyahu keeps doing his own thing and making the war bigger, and now Trump might not be able to stop it even if he wants to.
Conclusion
Trump may not be able to control or end the Iran war he started, despite his presidential power, because Netanyahu has manipulated him into an escalating conflict that has taken on a life of its own
Premises
- Netanyahu manipulated Trump into abandoning near-successful diplomatic talks with Iran and launching an unprovoked war
- The war has escalated beyond original US aims, with Israel conducting unauthorized attacks like bombing Iran's South Pars gas field
- US and Israeli war objectives are now diverging, with Netanyahu seeking total regime collapse while Trump considers negotiated settlements
- Trump has repeatedly deferred to Netanyahu's aggressive policies despite wielding presidential power
- The conflict is causing global economic disruption through oil crises and market instability that threatens Trump politically
- Iran's strategy of spreading the war regionally is succeeding, making the conflict harder to contain
- Trump's attempts to rein in Netanyahu this week show he recognizes the war is spiraling out of control
Assumptions
- Presidential power has practical limits when allies act independently
- Netanyahu's primary motivation is destroying Iran rather than serving broader strategic interests
- Trump is more concerned with political and economic consequences than humanitarian costs
- Wars can develop their own momentum beyond the control of those who start them
- Iran and Israel may not comply with US demands to halt the conflict