After the bombast and bloodshed, it was time for Taco (Trump Always Chickens Out), a move he first put on display during the tariffs crisis last year. Making extreme threats and walking them back will again provide Trump with the illusion of agency. On “liberation day” in April last year, when the Taco trade was christened, Trump was roughly in control of events. And he desperately needs to unblock the supply of oil through the strait of Hormuz, which Iran now controls. If the US were in control of things, Trump wouldn’t threaten to bomb civilian targets – which is a war crime.

Source: The Guardian March 27, 2026 17:01 UTC