Trump’s tough talk on Iran seriously falling flat

OPINION:

President Trump over the weekend floated the idea of blowing up Iran to bring a speedy end to the war. But since his administration has claimed on numerous occasions and over numerous spans of time that the war with Iran has already ended, his threats, at this point, seem a bit superfluous.

At what point when a war is declared finished is it actually finished?

When the joint U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran launched earlier this year, the idea was to destroy Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons and its ballistic missiles program. The mission was “laser-focused,” we were told. Operation Epic Fury was a fine-tuned matter-of-weeks kind of mission, we were told.

“The mission of Operation Epic Fury is laser-focused,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said at a press conference in March. “Destroy Iranian offensive missiles, destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure, and they will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Great.

Very “laser focused.”

Many in Congress cried they weren’t consulted, of course. But that was to be expected. Democrats only recognize the War Powers Act authorities vested in the president when he’s a Democrat — and Not Trump. So of course there was crying among some in Congress.

But America’s attacks on Iran were also billed as payback — as return fire — for all the times the Islamic terrorists attacked America, and America’s allies, over the years. The attacks were billed as a way of finally putting a stop to Iran’s long reign of terror, both directly and indirectly, via funding and through proxy groups, and in all parts of the world.

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The pinhead bureaucrats and leftist globalists in the European Union nibbled their nails nervously and predicted gloom and doom, while ridiculously undercutting America’s ability to wage a successful campaign — denying the U.S. military any access to airspace and bases, for instance. But that was to be expected, as well. Most of Europe has fallen to far-leftists and cowards in leadership who would rather cooperate with terrorists — by cowering to them and opening borders wide to more of them — than fight them directly.

Neither Trump nor America need permission from other nations to defend and fight for the USA.

In March, at a rally in Kentucky, Trump said “we won” and “in the first hour, it was over.”

In April, in an interview on Fox Business, Trump said, “I think it’s close to over” and “If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country, and we’re not finished.”

Then in June, with the bunker bomb attacks on Fordow, though, we were told Iran’s nuclear program was eradicated. Decimated. Destroyed. Obliterated.

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War won? Mission accomplished?

From The Guardian, post-Fordow bombing: “Hegseth … said that Donald Trump had ‘decimated … obliterated’ the country’s nuclear program despite initial intelligence assessments that last week’s strikes had failed to destroy key enrichment facilities and they could resume operations within just months.” 

Nope.

Not over; not won; not finished.

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Add in all the various peace deals and cease-and-desist agreements America forged, not forged, wait a minute, did forge with the Iranian regime, and what’s abundantly clear about this war against Iran is that nothing at all is clear.

And now, the muddled messaging continues.

“Trump says Iran war will end after Election Day,” NBC News wrote 12 days ago.

“Trump tells Axios he’s approaching major crossroads in Iran war,” Axios wrote three days ago.

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“Iran and U.S. trade threats after Houthi attacks escalate regional conflict,” Reuters wrote two days ago.

“Trump on Iran: ‘My question is, if and when do I blow the entire nation up?’” The Hill wrote a day ago.

It’s not that Trump wasn’t justified in sending in the military against Iran.

Iran has been a long-time enemy of America, enemy of Israel, enemy of anyone who wants peace and freedom and the right to live a life of peace and freedom. Iran’s to blame for much of the terror around the world, and for far too many years, has been able to pretend a desire for peace while all along blowing up nations and resources and people — and then demanding money as a condition to stop blowing up nations and resources and people. The regime is the ultimate devilish deceiver, and it’s pure peril for any nation and any leader to try and strike a deal with this devil.

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Trump is the leader who decided enough is enough.

He deserves credit for taking on the evil few others would.

But the mixed messaging is maddening. And an insult to intelligence.

And the fact that America has sent so many strong messages to the regime, only to step back and regroup and, in some cases, back down, only serves the interests of the evil regime.

Iran knows Trump doesn’t have an endless timeline to attack.

Iran knew from the beginning that the political realities of America work in Iran’s favor.

“Iran threatens to deploy new weapons and strike new targets if the U.S. launches another attack,” Fox News just reported.

“Iran says world will be ‘astonished’ by new weapons as Trump weighs next move,” Fox News just reported.

OK. Maybe. Maybe not. At this point, it’s anybody’s guess what’s factual versus what’s fake.

What is apparent, though, is this war with Iran is decidedly not over, and it’d be great if we could at least agree America hasn’t yet won. 

“I wouldn’t call it a war,” Vice President J.D. Vance said a couple of weeks ago.

Of course, first we have to all agree if we are even at war.

• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “God-Given Or Bust: Defeating Marxism and Saving America With Biblical Truths,” is available by clicking HERE.

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