June 16, 2026
Donald Trump, who managed to evade the draft during the Vietnam War, said recently that he wanted to be a ‘wartime president.’ He was clearly thinking of brass bands, fancy uniforms, medals and snappy honor guards to compliment his continental-sized ego.
Well, he got his wish, and it’s been a disaster. He fired some of his best senior officers who would not kowtow to his amateur schemes, threw monkey wrenches into the Pentagon machinery, and used the US military to conduct illegal assassinations of foreign figures.
‘Careful what you wish for’ should have been engraved on his Oval Office desk. As the renowned general, King Pyrrhus of Epirus (ancient Albania) famously said after a series of battlefield victories against the Romans, ‘one more such victory and I am lost.’ Hence the often-used expression, ‘Pyrrhic Victory.’
Trump’s little war against Iran and Lebanon with his favorite ally amounts to a classic Pyrrhic victory. A few thousand bystanders died, missile supplies were exhausted, Iran was pounded by the US and Israel, and billions of dollars were wasted in the shootout. Iran estimates $300 billion in damages. For what?
Primarily, to distract public attention from the festering Epstein scandal. That ploy worked brilliantly – initially. The remarkable Israeli agent of influence, Jeffrey Epstein, implanted himself at the heart of US power, using Levantine charm, huge amounts of bribery, and powerful influence from American supporters. This was likely the deepest penetration of the US government since the Clinton administration was manipulated by Israel. Yet there has been very little public outrage in the US. Trump, who is a key ally of Israel’s expansionist far right government, has so far soft-soaped this explosive issue and distracted voters.
Israel’s profound influence over the Trump administration has angered many Americans. Last week we even heard proposals from some American allies of Israel that the US armed forces were be put under joint US and Israeli control. The US-Iran-Israel war was the test run for this new concept. We shall see much more if the Epstein files are ever released.
Meanwhile, the US flounders without any clear idea of what to do with Iran. Trump’s bluffing over the little Gulf War has left him deflated and embarrassed as his pre-election polls drop. Really difficult issues arising from Trump’s gunboat diplomacy abound: the $300 billion to repay damage to Iran caused by US and Israeli attacks; $100 million of Iran’s assets illegally frozen by the US; huge rebates to ship owners caused by US/Israeli operations; the destruction of much of southern Lebanon and Israel; annexation of parts of southern Lebanon; billions of dollars of destruction to Beirut and Lebanon’s coast. Not to mention America’s tattered image around the world.
Like children, politicians must not be allowed to play with matches.
Copyright Eric Margolis 2026
It looks like the US is likely to lose its war against Iran, because the US military is running low on ammunition and the Pentagon is widely known to be running out of money. And Congress appears unwilling to give the Pentagon the $67 billion in supplementary funding that Pete Hegseth has requested. Under Trump, it looks like the US is about to be knocked down several pegs and is about to be disgraced and humiliated by Iran, with some help from China and Russia. The US will be dameged for many years to come, thanks mainly to Trump. It sort of looks good on the US!
From what I have heard today, your post is already dated. If true-
it is said that the on going Gulf War peace plan has given the farm to the Mullahs. To wit- the right to charge fees for Gulf of Hormuz traffic, a lifting of all sanctions and fund freezing, compensation to Iran for war losses, and no hard limits on Iranian arms (at least for now). OK, this might be a huge total con game. One can only hope.
People voted for Trump because they thought he was going to be a peace President, but how could they think that if he stood on stage with a huge Israeli flag and at many rallies he had speakers declaring the Democrats were not supporting Israel enough even though they were backing the genocide in Gaza.
They say Trump is starting to stand up to Israel and condemning their actions in Lebanon. If true watch how fast Israel has him assassinated.