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Regardless of the outcome of the U.S. and Israel’s war of aggression against Iran, the result is clear: the world has changed and Washington’s presence in the Middle East will never be the same.
President Donald Trump has been inconsistent with why he decided to go to war with Iran.
The general theme has been that the government in Tehran has been threatening the West for decades with the potential to develop a nuclear weapon, and he decided to be the president to end the threat once and for all.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed, once again, that time was running out to stop the rogue regime inside Iran, and Israel would have responded even without the United States.
Trump has been inconsistent with his war goals and how long he believes the U.S. will be engaged in the fight. But he has insisted that Washington will dictate the terms.
There appears to be no off-ramp, and Iran understands that if the war stops, it would only be a matter of time before Trump and Netanyahu conspire for a new strike and attempt to overthrow the government.
Since the war started, Iran has shown itself to be a formidable opponent unafraid of the escalation ladder. Iran has launched drone strikes into Gulf countries that have U.S. bases, and has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices higher in the West.
The New York Times noted that Trump, at first, presented the war as a “brief disruption” that would be resolved quickly, but the paper said analysts disagree, and believe the war, which is just over two weeks old, carries with it the risks of economic collapse and global instability “that exceeds those delivered” by previous wars in the region.
In the past 20 years alone, the region has experienced the Israeli genocide in Gaza; the Second Lebanon War from July 2006 to August 2006; and the Iraq War from 2003 to December 2011. There have also been various insurgencies, including the Syrian Civil War and the Yemeni Civil War.
Iran has carried out more strikes on its Gulf neighbors than it has on Israel, one analyst told The Times.
The paper noted that these countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, are usually seen as sources of stability in an insecure region, and these attacks have rattled tourists and citizens.
Emile Hokayem, a Middle East expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told a panel recently that these countries could see a dramatic fallout from the war because stability is good for business and instability is not.
“It wasn’t just the money, it’s the fact that people could realistically tell people it’s a good business environment, you will feel safe,” he said, according to The Times. “We’re immune to regional politics. You can invest here. You can use us for your trade, your airlines, for your communications, your tech, and so on. And that’s what the Iranians are after, right?”
European leaders have expressed concerns that the war will drag on and result in economy-killing energy prices.
Politico noted that Italy, Austria, Slovenia, and Slovakia have called on the European Commission to come up with a plan to deal with these higher prices.
Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor and major pro-Israel booster, has thrown his support behind the U.S. and Israel’s attack on Iran and reiterated last week that Berlin shares many of the goals stated by Washington and Tel Aviv.
“But with each day of the war, more questions arise. We are particularly concerned that there appears to be no common plan for bringing this war to a swift and convincing conclusion,” he said, according to The Times.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who generally aligns with Trump on many issues, has tried to distance Italy from the Iran War and said the U.S.-Israeli attack fell “outside the scope of international law.”
The Times noted that the war has created new concerns across Europe that countries will be flooded with migrants from the Middle East. The paper said the war is already conjuring up memories of the migration crisis from about 10 years ago that resulted in “more than a million people” seeking safety within Europe. That migration gave rise to “right-wing” political groups like Germany’s AfD, which The Trends Journal had forecast. (See “EUROPEAN COUNTRIES BRACE FOR SURGE IN IMMIGRATION FROM MIDDLE EAST AMID IRAN WAR” (10 Mar 2026), and “EU SEES RECORD NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ATTEMPTS – NOT INCLUDING UKRAINIANS, FURTHER CEMENTING OUR TOP TREND FORECAST” (17 Jan 2023), “TOP TREND 2023: ANTI-IMMIGRATION” (3 Jan 2023), and “IMMIGRATION AT EU BORDER SOARING – NOT INCLUDING UKRAINIANS” (26 Apr 2022).
The Iranians have been shipping oil to the Chinese through the Strait of Hormuz, despite essentially shutting down the main waterway during the war.
Trump appealed to other countries to help force Iran to relent.
“Many countries… will be sending war ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday.
Vali Nasr, an analyst at Johns Hopkins University, told France 24 that the U.S. decision on Friday to bomb Kharg Island, a vital energy hub for Tehran, was a new escalation.
“The end will likely not be Iranian backing off but inflaming the Gulf,” he said.
TRENDPOST: The old saying goes something like: “When you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” and the Trump administration clearly had no Plan B for the war after the government did not collapse after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (See “TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S RHETORIC ABOUT IRAN WAR: SOME OF THIS AND SOME OF THAT, MOST OF NOTHING” (10 Mar 2026), “U.S. CONGRESS IS ON TRUMP’S SIDE OF THE WAR, HOUSE REJECTS IRAN WAR POWERS RESOLUTION” (10 Mar 2026), and “SPAIN’S PM WARNS U.S. ABOUT RISKS OF DISASTER IN IRAN WAR” (10 Mar 2026).
Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of War, addressed the media in Washington on Friday and sounded like the clown boy that he is when asked about an update on the Strait of Hormuz.
“The only thing prohibiting transit in the straits right now is Iran shooting at shipping. It is open for transit should Iran not do that,” he said. He continued, “We have a plan for every option here.”
TREND FORECAST: Trump does not have an off-ramp, and Iran said the U.S. and Israel must pay a price for the new war. Indeed, as we have detailed, Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian said the “Only way to end this war” is to recognize Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations (to Iran) and firm guarantees against future aggression.”
And as the old saying goes, “three strikes and you’re out.” Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said they would not meet again with the U.S. to work out a ceasefire agreement because Trump has already twice deceived Iran with sneak-attacks while they were engaged in negotiations.
Therefore, we see no end of the war and we fear that the longer it rages and the reality that Israel and the United States will not defeat Iran, the greater the threat that Israel and the U.S. will go nuclear against Iran. And this will be the beginning of the end of life on Earth.