Trump is in a corner and likely to lash out at Iran again. Here’s how to avert that disaster | Simon Tisdall
Why This Matters
Key context: <p>Once the midterms are over, Trump will be free to pursue vendetta politics. But with will and diplomacy, he can be reined in</p><p>As another Iran catastrophe looms, one question matters more than any other: how to stop it before it’s too late? Whatever the eventual outcome of Israel’s election and next week’s US midterm polls, Donald Trump, playing the Lone Ranger, and Benjamin Netanyahu, his badass Tonto, appear hell-bent on resuming the <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/26/politics/us-iran-strike-plans-trump">illegal war of choice</a> they began in June last year and expanded in February. Like a Shakespearean tragedy moving inexorably to a bloody denouement, the worst is yet to come. And yet three things seem certain: the US and Israel will again fail to totally destroy Iran’s largely hypothetical nuclear capabilities; its regime will survive; and millions of ordinary people, there and around the world, will pay the price for this unjustified, reckless aggression.</p><p>Ducking and weaving, Trump is desperate to dodge the blame for the Republicans’ anticipated midterm meltdown, largely triggered by war-related fuel and consumer price inflation. He claimed <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/trump-ukraine-gas-prices-iran-war-b3061770.html">Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries</a> were responsible, but that didn’t wash. He cut a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/22/donald-trump-ukraine-betrayal-putin-nato">treacherous diesel deal with Vladimir Putin</a> but, as usual, Russia’s smirking mafioso conned him. He urged US allies to tap their strategic reserves but, unsurprisingly, vilified and sidelined European leaders, who view his war as an unmitigated disaster and declined to bail him out. Trump also <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/26/netanyahu-reportedly-pressured-israel-military-attack-iran-runup-to-election">reportedly rebuffed</a> last-gasp, electorally driven pressure from Netanyahu to hit Iran this month, fearful it would unleash a Democratic tsunami.</p><p>Simon Tisdall is a Guardian foreign affairs commentator</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/28/donald-trump-iran-midterms-politics-diplomacy">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
Once the midterms are over, Trump will be free to pursue vendetta politics. But with will and diplomacy, he can be reined inAs another Iran catastrophe looms, one question matters more than any other: how to stop it before it’s too late? Whatever the eventual outcome of Israel’s election and next week’s US midterm polls, Donald Trump, playing the Lone Ranger, and Benjamin Netanyahu, his badass Tonto, appear hell-bent on resuming the illegal war of choice they began in June last year and expanded in February. Like a Shakespearean tragedy moving inexorably to a bloody denouement, the worst is yet to come. And yet three things seem certain: the US and Israel will again fail to totally destroy Iran’s largely hypothetical nuclear capabilities; its regime will survive; and millions of ordinary people, there and around the world, will pay the price for this unjustified, reckless aggression.Ducking and weaving, Trump is desperate to dodge the blame for the Republicans’ anticipated midterm meltdown, largely triggered by war-related fuel and consumer price inflation. He claimed Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries were responsible, but that didn’t wash. He cut a treacherous diesel deal with Vladimir Putin but, as usual, Russia’s smirking mafioso conned him. He urged US allies to tap their strategic reserves but, unsurprisingly, vilified and sidelined European leaders, who view his war as an unmitigated disaster and declined to bail him out. Trump also reportedly rebuffed last-gasp, electorally driven pressure from Netanyahu to hit Iran this month, fearful it would unleash a Democratic tsunami.Simon Tisdall is a Guardian foreign affairs commentator Continue reading...
Curation & Context
This page summarizes a public news report from The Guardian. Global News Hub provides the "Why This Matters" takeaway using editorial insights and AI curation to give readers rapid, high-value context before they click through to read the full article.