"Fast forward to the present day, and Trump is threatening an even bigger attack, and backing up the threat with a large-scale movement of US military assets, including an aircraft carrier, towards Iranian waters. Trump says that these threats are his way of convincing the Iranians to agree to a deal reported to include demands to effectively end Iran's nuclear programme, limit its ballistic missile programme, and stop support for allies across the Middle East."
"At the same time, Trump says that he is not necessarily a supporter of regime change, but leaves the door open for it. Trump actively cultivates an image that may in a more disparaging way be called the madman theory of foreign policy. Said to have originally been coined by former US President Richard Nixon in the late 1960s, the idea is for the enemy to question just how far you are willing to go, even if it seems irrational."
The madman theory aims to pressure adversaries by convincing them the leader may act irrationally, but it risks backfiring if opponents feel they have nothing to lose. In June 2025 the United States struck Iranian nuclear sites, and President Donald Trump framed the attack as a move to end hostilities. Later Trump threatened a larger attack and moved significant US military assets, including an aircraft carrier, toward Iranian waters. Trump presented threats as leverage to force Iran into a deal to end its nuclear program, limit ballistic missiles, and cease support for regional allies. Trump pairs threats with calibrated, initially confined military actions and leaves open the possibility of regime change.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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