NEW: Trump’s Greenland obsession strained the NATO alliance
Now the Strait of Hormuz could break it
Trump is livid that other nations won’t help. And NATO is bracing for revenge:
Could Trump pull U.S troops out of Europe? Or withdraw from NATO entirely? www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
“Trump has never tried to be the president of all Americans. That deficiency was on grotesque display again as he celebrated the death of someone who devoted his life to the country Trump now leads” www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
NEW: Robert Mueller III was a Bronze Star Marine veteran, an FBI director, and an American citizen
When the president of the United States heard the news that Mueller died today, he put it this way: “Good, I’m glad he’s dead." www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
NEW: The U.S. presented a 15-point plan—based on the 15-point proposal presented to the Iranian government last year—to give the weakened regime a chance to concede and spare itself further bombardment
Trump says it’s progress. Tehran says it’s fiction www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
NEW: The Iran war has not quite gone to plan
Tehran’s military has been crushed, but the regime lives and oil prices are surging
The eventual outcome may come down to just how much risk Trump is willing to accept—and how much pain he is willing to take. www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
The U.S. has lost 13 troops since the Iran war began, the same number killed at Abbey Gate in August 2021
Trump blamed Biden, whose presidency never quite recovered. But Trump’s Pentagon now faces similar questions as he considers deploying ground forces www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
“Even by the low standards that Trump has set, cheering the death of another man is abhorrent. Not that it hasn’t happened before” www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
Trump wanted to attack Iran during the protests but couldn’t because it took weeks for the needed military assets to reach the region. Some experts say the strike was rushed; an ex-official told us that some early preparations were aimed at a May launch www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
Trump now faces a daunting decision:
Does he escalate the conflict, no matter how unpopular at home? Or does he declare victory and leave, minimizing economic damage but leaving behind an embittered regime with the materials to build a nuclear weapon? www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
Days before his 2018 summit with Putin in Helsinki, Trump nearly pulled out of NATO
Furious over Strait of Hormuz, Trump is again trashing the allies - and could fulfill Putin’s lifelong dream
The U.S. attacked Iran. Russia may win www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
The disconnect between the president’s claims and Iran’s denials underscores how little control either side has over the conflict—or its narrative.