Trump vowed to end wars. He is now opening a new front against Iran
WASHINGTON— For a decade, President Trump has promised to end what he calls “endless wars,” portraying himself as a leader who opposes protracted conflicts in the Middle East and favors the pursuit of peace in the world.
Now, early in his second term, Trump is moving toward military action against Iran that could go far beyond a limited effort to halt the country’s nuclear program.
One Video published on Truth SocialThe commander in chief said American forces also planned to “devastate their missile industry” and “destroy their navy.” He warned members of the Iranian military to surrender or “face certain death.” And he called on the Iranian people to seize this moment as an opportunity to rise up against their government.
“This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the power and might of the US armed forces,” Trump said.
Trump, who has been considering attacking Iran for several weeks, acknowledged that he was aware of the humanitarian cost that would come with his decision to attack.
“The lives of brave American heroes may be lost, and we may suffer casualties. This often happens in war,” he said. “But we are doing this not for now, but for the future, and this is a noble duty,” he said.
Trump’s military campaign in Iran marks a sharp turn for a president who has long been critical of open-ended conflicts in the Middle East and marks a shift from the America-first agenda message that helped him return to the White House.
“I won’t start a war. I will stop the warsIn his victory speech in November 2024, Trump said he promised to focus national resources on domestic priorities rather than foreign conflicts.
His stance resonated with war-weary voters ahead of the election, as Trump advocated bringing American forces home from positions around the world and withdrawing from key defense agreements.
Less than six in 10 Americans (56%) believed that the United States should take an active role in world affairs before the election; This is the second lowest level recorded since the question was first asked in 1974. voting by the Foreign Affairs Council
Trump’s stance on the war in the Middle East was consistent before he ran for office.
In 2013, he criticized former President Obama’s negotiations with Tehran. guess in one post It was stated on Twitter that Obama “will attack Iran because it cannot negotiate properly.” That same year, Trump warned that “our terrible leadership could unwittingly drag us into World War III.”
In a heated debate in February 2016, Trump attacked former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, stating that his brother George W. Bush lied about Iraq’s nuclear capabilities to get the United States into the Iraq War. Trump calls Iraq War “big, big mistake“It destabilized the Middle East.”
“They lied. They said they had weapons of mass destruction. They didn’t and they knew they didn’t,” he said.
Trump’s confrontation with Iran bears little resemblance to these initial rebukes.
Trump has yet to present evidence of an imminent threat to the United States from Iran’s nuclear program, which he claimed to have “destroyed” eight months ago, and has instead framed the military campaign as one to ensure Tehran never develops nuclear weapons.
“It’s a very simple message,” he said. “They will never have nuclear weapons.”
Trump’s shift has already caught the attention of congressional Democrats; Many of them call on the president to back down on his promise to end foreign wars and demand that he involve Congress in other military operations.
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) said: “No matter what the President thinks or says, he does not like a carte blanche to launch large-scale military operations without a clear strategy, without any transparency or public debate, and without Congressional approval.”
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) criticized Trump for “plunging the country into another foreign war that Americans did not want and Congress did not authorize.”
Military intervention in Iran is not the first time members of Congress have complained about the Trump administration’s willingness to sideline the legislature on decisions that could trigger larger conflict this year.
In January, Trump ordered military forces to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and said the United States would rule the sovereign country until further notice. He has threatened military action in Colombia, where leftist President Gustavo Petro is one of Trump’s most vocal critics.
Trump alienated allied countries by saying he was ready to send American troops to seize Greenland, a semi-autonomous region of Denmark. On Friday, he said the United States was in talks with Havana and raised the possibility of a “friendly takeover of Cuba” without giving any details of what he meant.
His actions coincide with his discomfort with not being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to seek peace in the world. At one point the president said that he no longer felt “obliged to think only about Peace” because he was not recognized.
Trump’s changing tone of voice and his use of violent war imagery in his pre-recorded remarks on Iran have shaken even some of his base.
“I didn’t campaign for this. I didn’t donate money for this,” said conservative former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who recently left Congress after a bitter debate with Trump. “This is not what we thought MAGA should be. What a shame!”
But Republican leaders largely stand behind the president.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R.S.D.) said Iran “poses a clear and unacceptable threat” to the United States and rejected “diplomatic outbursts.” House Speaker Mike Johnson (D-La.) said Trump took action after exhausting “every effort to find peaceful and diplomatic solutions.”
Other top Republican lawmakers also rallied behind the president.
“The butcher bill has finally come due for the ayatollahs,” said Senator Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Wrote an article on X. “May God bless and protect our soldiers in this vital mission of vengeance, justice and security.”
