"Trump is hardly the first American president to misunderstand the capacities, motivations, fears, and grievances of Tehran's theocratic regime-but he is the first one stupid enough to start an actual shooting war on the basis of those delusions. The reasons past presidents had been reluctant to take this fateful step should now be painfully obvious."
"In the midst of a volatile, unpredictable military action upsetting the Middle East's balance of power, it is more important than ever for our leaders to understand the sources of Iran's behavior-especially how the regime's seemingly self-defeating decision-making is driven primarily by a very well-justified fear of the United States of America."
The article critiques President Trump's military actions against Iran, characterizing them as impulsive and strategically misguided. It argues that while previous American presidents have misunderstood Iran's theocratic regime, Trump is uniquely willing to initiate direct military conflict based on these misperceptions. The piece emphasizes that understanding Iran's behavior requires recognizing how the regime's decision-making is fundamentally driven by legitimate fears of American intervention. Despite acknowledging Iran's repressive governance, the article contends that American policy circles have consistently failed to grasp the historical context and rational motivations underlying Iranian actions, creating dangerous miscalculations in current military strategy.
Read at The Nation
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