PNN – Newsweek magazine reported that Trump’s warmongering against Iran has weakened the U.S. economy, fueled inflation, alienated American allies, and dealt a severe blow to the Republican Party in the midterm elections.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; an article in Newsweek noted that Trump’s warmongering against Iran demonstrated that military superiority does not prevent an adversary from leveraging geography and economic factors to counter such pressure.
As the conflict with Iran enters its ninth month, U.S. President Donald Trump continues to repeat his familiar refrain regarding the total control of U.S. forces over the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Tehran maintains that the reopening of this waterway to shipping will only be possible once the United States accepts Iran’s conditions.
Although U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has claimed control over the movement of oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and the imposition of a blockade on Iranian ports, the low number of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz suggests that the reality is quite different.
In an analysis for Newsweek, David Ever writes that a lesson that emerged some seventy years ago—during the Suez Crisis—has resurfaced to haunt Washington in the context of the U.S. conflict with Iran. This lesson demonstrates that military power does not necessarily equate to the subjugation of an enemy, nor can it shield economies from the costs of war.
The magazine notes that Trump faces the consequences of a war with Iran—including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the erosion of alliances, and voter anger over rising prices—adding that Tehran has held its ground in this conflict and retained its capacity to disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil once passed.
According to the report, the disruption to shipping over the course of about eight months has driven up energy prices and exacerbated inflation. This situation has coincided with an increase in customs tariffs, forcing American families to bear the costs of the war through higher prices and a heavier burden on their cost of living.
The U.S. midterm elections last Tuesday also revealed the political repercussions of this situation; the Democrats won in both chambers of Congress, and an Associated Press poll indicated that 6 out of every 10 voters considered an attack on Iran to be a misguided decision. Meanwhile, the rising cost of living had the greatest impact on their choices.
According to this article, Trump has weakened international institutions and organizations during his presidency. He has ordered the withdrawal of the United States from 66 international organizations and deepened rifts with European allies. This situation has prompted some NATO member states to contemplate a future in which they can no longer rely on American support; meanwhile, the European Union is engaged in negotiations to avert a trade war.
For this reason, European capitals ignored Trump’s call to deploy ships to the Strait of Hormuz—as the conflict had been initiated without consulting them, and these nations had no desire to join it.