# Speculation About Trump's Underlying Reasons for Bombing Iran and Other Targets **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** iran-strikes-2026\ **Created:** [March 4, 2026, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speculation-about-trumps-underlying-reasons-for-bombing-iran-and-other-targets/1028209 "2026-03-04T21:58:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speculation-about-trumps-underlying-reasons-for-bombing-iran-and-other-targets/1028209/261 "2026-04-05T18:25:32Z")
A post was merged into an existing topic: [Speculation for and/or Consequences to the US and Elsewhere for Engaging in the Bombing of Iran and Other Targets](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speculation-for-and-or-consequences-to-the-us-and-elsewhere-for-engaging-in-the-bombing-of-iran-and-other-targets/1028210/388) ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speculation-about-trumps-underlying-reasons-for-bombing-iran-and-other-targets/1028209/264 "2026-04-07T20:13:27Z")
Ace reporters Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman get the inside scoop on the OP. In fact they are prepping a book that covers the subject: “Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump”. Gifted [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war.html?unlocked\_article\_code=1.ZFA.hPN0.572m7ggd27rz&smid=url-share](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZFA.hPN0.572m7ggd27rz&smid=url-share) It walks through the thin decision making process which, using [the framework of Daniel Kahneman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow), involves a President who can think fast (intuitively) but not slow and methodically. Readers of the above article should do so critically. Rubio helpfully distinguished between destroying Iran’s missile program (do-able they thought, which is partly true, partly false, which means that Trump only absorbed the first part) and regime change (which Rubio termed as bullshit). Note that _consequences_, i.e. the blocking of the Strait, received short shrift. Proper war policy involves getting a little bit granular. Trump sees things not from 30,000 feet, but rather satellite height. He doesn’t do memos. GW Bush’s decision making process was highly problematic, but I don’t think he would have started an Iran War without considering things that any casual viewer of CNN would. Here is a partial list of incidents regarding the Straits of Hormuz from wikipedia. The full list goes back decades. [ U.S.–Iran disputes, threats to close the Strait ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz#U.S.%E2%80%93Iran_disputes,_threats_to_close_the_Strait) - [ 2008 ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz#2008) - [ 2011–2012 ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz#2011%E2%80%932012) - [ 2018–2019 ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz#2018%E2%80%932019) - [ 2019 attacks on oil tankers ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz#2019_attacks_on_oil_tankers) - [ 2025 ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz#2025) - [ 2026 ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz#2026) I say a war like this can’t occur without a sidelining of expert opinion. Which is indeed what happened, very much connected with the cognitive limitations of the President and the appointment of supine courtiers. The Republican business class and political class - the gatekeepers - failed us. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2026, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speculation-about-trumps-underlying-reasons-for-bombing-iran-and-other-targets/1028209/265 "2026-04-08T16:01:05Z")
From the prediction thread: > [@Predictions and forecasts about the ongoing Iran War](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predictions-and-forecasts-about-the-ongoing-iran-war/1029103/35): > > An unhinged idiot _with no plan;_ it’s obvious that Trump and company just YOLOed into the war without any clear goal or any plan for what to do if Iran didn’t just instantly and totally submit to those undefined goals. It makes no sense because at base, _there’s no sense to make;_ just an idiot who jumped in without a plan and spent the ensuing debacle flailing around cluelessly. Agreed, and this is reflected in the absence of high level discussion regarding the Straits of Hormuz as reflected in the Swan/Haberman piece above. Also note the small number of people in the relevant meetings. The head of the CIA was in the room (Ratcliffe), but there were no experts or specialists. In Trump I, the leader of the Joint Chief of Staff (Milely) would push back against Trump’s stupidity, but the Trump II replacement (Caine) would just list options and challenges (like the Strait). Well, what would be done about that? That’s a multi-step discussion that Trump would not follow, so it didn’t happen. No contingency planning, no set goals: they would lean into Trump’s lies and conflicting remarks. It makes sense, as it permits his supporters to hear what they want to hear. ---
**Author:** ![hideousidiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/858c86/32.png) [@hideousidiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hideousidiot)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2026, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speculation-about-trumps-underlying-reasons-for-bombing-iran-and-other-targets/1028209/266 "2026-04-08T16:27:54Z")
One benefit to Trump, with this war and particularly with his insane, blasphemous, obscenity-ridden rant, was that he got to identify those senior officers who were willing to follow his illegal orders, and those who weren’t. Now he’ll have Hegseth fire those who, up to almost the last minute, were expressing doubts about their willingness to do his bidding, or even making suggestions that maybe he could stay away from the more blatantly illegal acts he was threatening to do. Within a few weeks, we will have an all-MAGA senior officers corps. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speculation-about-trumps-underlying-reasons-for-bombing-iran-and-other-targets/1028209/267 "2026-05-15T02:42:30Z")
I’m sure [this](https://www.aol.com/articles/trump-remarkable-military-failure-shows-105739796.html) falls under speculation for the current White House occupant’s reasons for starting the war. > [@](#): > > Iran’s missile arsenal is mostly intact and still capable of attacking America’s allies beyond the Gulf states, two months into a joint [US](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/us)-Israeli [bombing campaign](https://www.aol.com/news/trump-brushes-off-iran-war-184702242.html). > > [The White House](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/the-white-house) has repeatedly claimed that [Iran](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/iran)’s military capacity has been “decimated” and wiped out, but [Nato](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/nato) sources have told _The Independent_ this is not true. > > “Whatever anyone is saying in public, we estimate that the Iranians have at least 60 per cent of their missile capability. How else can you explain, for example, how they can continue to attack Gulf nations with missiles and drones?” said a senior Nato source in Europe. > > This is the latest blow to American claims to have somehow won a war that has achieved none of its stated aims and shown the limits of US power at a time when [Donald Trump](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/donald-trump) is heading to China, [hoping to be perceived](https://www.aol.com/news/trump-xi-discuss-during-china-082452326.html) as first among equals. > > “Everybody knows that Trump and Hegseth are talking nonsense when they make claims to have destroyed Iran militarily,” the source continued. > > “The missiles are largely intact, and the top people who were negotiating with the US before the US-Israeli attacks are now dead, so hardliners are in charge. Meanwhile, there has been no uprising because the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is intact and used rifles to oppress their people, not missiles, anyway.” The article lists some of the stated claims for the war and the current status of said claims. The **bolding** is mine. > [@](#): > > As part of its war aims, the US said it wanted to see Iran’s population rise against a murderous and authoritarian regime in Tehran. **It has not done so.** > > The White House said it aimed to destroy Iran’s nuclear programme. **It has not done so.** The US said it wanted to end Iran’s destabilising activities around the Middle East. **It has not done so.** The rest of the article is equally damning. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speculation-about-trumps-underlying-reasons-for-bombing-iran-and-other-targets/1028209/268 "2026-05-15T16:09:50Z")
Everyone around the world with either internet access or television reception, except American Republicans, is aware of this. There will be no convincing American Republicans, as they are preoccupied drawing cartoon images of Trump with bigly muscles and a superhero cape. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speculation-about-trumps-underlying-reasons-for-bombing-iran-and-other-targets/1028209/269 "2026-05-20T20:45:13Z")
Quoting myself from March 6. Trump is.in this to make money. Also to wave his dick around (assuming he can find it with his tiny hands under all that blubber) but mostly to make money. I said that in March. All the insider trading revelations appear to prove me right. Yay me. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2026, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speculation-about-trumps-underlying-reasons-for-bombing-iran-and-other-targets/1028209/270 "2026-05-21T16:26:30Z")
It’s also a deflection from a deflection from a deflection… from the Epstein files. But yeah, he and his traitorous crew are making a ton of money. USA be damned. They don’t care. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speculation-about-trumps-underlying-reasons-for-bombing-iran-and-other-targets/1028209.md?page=13)