The Myths of Trump’s Kayfabe Iran War

What’s the purpose of intelligence when nobody cares what it reveals? That’s the fast way to get played, painfully.

Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur (The world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived.)

-- attributed to Petronius (c. 27-66 AD)

This week, President Donald J. Trump shifted U.S. foreign and defense policy by involving the United States in Israel’s war against Iran, on the side of the Jewish state. After running for the White House three times on a peace platform to keep America out of what he memorably termed “stupid wars,” especially in the Middle East, Trump has made the country a participant in Israel’s long-distance bombing campaign against Iran.

We don’t know why Trump changed course so radically, without much warning. Israel commenced its war against Iran supposedly due to new intelligence regarding that country’s nuclear weapons program. This information was reportedly of a dire nature, indicating that Tehran might possess several nuclear warheads within weeks. However, Israel hasn’t shared what this new intelligence is, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is nearly the last person to be taken seriously on this issue, since he’s been warning about the mullahs in Iran getting “The Bomb” any day now for more than 30 years.