Trump’s Schizophrenic Middle East Policy, Facilitating Disaster

Watching Donald Trump’s shifting positions on the Israel/Iran War, is like trying to follow a tennis ball being batted back-and-forth over the net by two dudes hyped on steroids. Except Trump is playing both sides of the net. The back-and-forth is truly dizzying.

After the outbreak of the war early Friday morning in Tehran, Trump was brimming with confidence that Israel would destroy Iran. He started with this huzzah:

Trump tweet, 12:43 pm eastern, 13 June 2025

I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to “just do it,” but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done. I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it. Certain Iranian hardliner’s spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse! There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!

He was damn proud that US weapons were being used to kill Iranians. That same day, notwithstanding Secretary of State Rubio’s denial that the US played any role or had any knowledge about Israel’s attack on Iran, Trump expanded his bragging in a comment to the New York Post:

I always knew the date Israel would attack, I know everything…

If he knew, then he could have stopped it.

Well, it looks like Mr. Know-It-All started having second thoughts after his “chat” on Saturday with President Putin.

Trump tweet, 3:01 pm eastern 14 June 2025

President Putin called this morning to very nicely wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well. We talked at length. Much less time was spent talking about Russia/Ukraine, but that will be for next week. He is doing the planned prisoner swaps – large numbers of prisoners are being exchanged, immediately, from both sides. The call lasted approximately 1 hour. He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end.

Hmmm… no more bragging or chest thumping about the powerful US weapons that were going to put an end to the Iranian regime. Seven hours later, Trump completed his volte face:

Trump tweet, 00:34 am eastern, 15 June 2025

The U.S. had nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight. If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before. However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!

Sort of reminds me of the iconic scene from the movie, Gone With the Wind, when the character, Prissy (played by the legendary Butterfly McQueen) tells Scarlett O’Hara, “I don’t know nothing about birthing no babies.” In less than 37 hours, Trump went from knowing everything, and touting the power of US weapons being used to clobber Iran, to Sargent Schultz of Hogan Hero’s fame:

Like a transgender transitioning, Trump went from the Know-It-All about War to President Peace:

Trump tweet, 11:24 am eastern, 15 June 2025:

Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make, in that case by using TRADE with the United States to bring reason, cohesion, and sanity into the talks with two excellent leaders who were able to quickly make a decision and STOP!

Also, during my first term, Serbia and Kosovo were going at it hot and heavy, as they have for many decades, and this long time conflict was ready to break out into WAR. I stopped it (Biden has hurt the longer term prospects with some very stupid decisions, but I will fix it, again!). Another case is Egypt and Ethiopia, and their fight over a massive dam that is having an effect on the magnificent Nile River. There is peace, at least for now, because of my intervention, and it will stay that way!

Likewise, we will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place. I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that’s OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!

I don’t think Trump understands or appreciates how damaging his flip-floppery is to his reputation among foreign leaders. Who can trust this guy?

Meanwhile, the Zionists continue to insist that Iran is running out of missiles. I guess Iran did not get the memo. Here is the latest strike on Haifa’s power plant early on 17 June Israel time:

And there is more video footage, reportedly showing a strike on Israel’s air-defense unit at the Nevatim Air Force base:

Despite Trump’s new position favoring peace, I think he is going to reverse himself, again, and approve US strikes inside Iran. Within the last hour, there is a report of a massive movement of US military tankers:

The U.S. is now deploying 24 Air Force tankers eastward—an unprecedented surge far beyond any NATO exercise like Trident Juncture.

Trident Juncture 2018 (the largest in recent years):
— The U.S. deployed around 6–8 tankers: KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-10 Extenders, mostly from bases like RAF Mildenhall and Ramstein NOT from US Bases.

— Additional tankers are often contributed by NATO partners (e.g., UK, Netherlands, Germany), bringing the total to 10–15 tankers in theater at MOST.

This isn’t routine. These tankers are strategic force multipliers, enabling long-range ops for bombers, fighters, and ISR assets.

If these tankers are used to fuel US and NATO aircraft that attack Iran, then Donald Trump will own the war in Iran and the consequences that follow. He can kiss his chances for a Nobel Peace Prize good-bye.