Donald Trump’s struggle to justify continuing his war with Iran reminds me of Richard Nixon’s quest for “peace with honor” in Vietnam. As it became clear that the South Vietnamese government could not survive US withdrawal from the war, Nixon sought to defend Washington’s credibility, cynically understood as a decent interval between America’s departure and Saigon’s collapse. With the price of a tank of gasoline a major factor in the forthcoming US midterm elections, the Iranian regime may feel it has the upper hand. He wants the Iranian regime to “cry uncle”. Most wanted out of Vietnam the way that most today want nothing to do with the Trump-Netanyahu war in Iran.

Source: The Guardian March 25, 2026 06:31 UTC