Published on: Mon, 02 Mar 2026 03:25:38 GMTOriginal Story: Why Diplomacy Was Doomed: Trump’s Issue Was Iran’s Leadership Itself – The New York Times “`html Trump’s Iran Redux: Same Playbook, Different Decade? Alright, alright, alright. So, Donald Trump’s back at it again, folks. This time, it’s Iran in the crosshairs, and according to the New York Times, the real sticking point wasn’t just nukes or regional shenanigans, but the very existence of Iran’s current leadership. Color me shocked. I mean, who could have possibly foreseen this? (Everyone. The answer is everyone.) Let’s rewind the clock, shall we? Remember 2015? The Iran Nuclear Deal, orchestrated by Obama and a coalition of other countries? Trump, back then, called it “the worst deal ever negotiated.” Now, years later, it seems the underlying issue wasn’t just the deal’s terms, but a fundamental disagreement with who was sitting at the table in Tehran. It’s like saying you hate a restaurant’s menu, but actually, you just can’t stand the owner. Is This About “Extreme Vetting” on a Global Scale? Here’s where my burnt-out brain starts to see parallels. Trump’s whole “extreme vetting” mantra for immigrants always felt like a thinly veiled attempt to just keep certain people out. Is this Iran policy just “extreme vetting” on a global scale? Instead of vetting individuals, we’re vetting entire governments. If you don’t pass the Trump vibe check, you’re out. No diplomacy, no negotiation, just regime change by… well, by what exactly? Wishful thinking? The Ghosts of Regime Change Past Let’s not forget the last time the US tried its hand at regime change in the Middle East. Iraq, anyone? Remember “weapons of mass destruction”? (Spoiler alert: they weren’t there.) That little adventure cost us trillions of dollars, thousands of lives, and destabilized the entire region. And for what? A power vacuum filled by… well, more problems. Is Iran going to be Iraq 2.0? It certainly feels like that’s what some people are hoping for. “But This Time It’s Different!” – Famous Last Words I can already hear the chorus: “But this time it’s different! We’ve learned from our mistakes!” Oh, have we now? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like the same old song and dance. Demonize the enemy, ignore diplomatic solutions, and beat the drums of war. It’s a classic. And like a bad 80s power ballad, it’s predictable and ultimately unsatisfying. The Border Connection: It’s All About Control Okay, so how does this tie back to the border and “extreme vetting”? It’s simple: control. Trump’s worldview seems to be built on a desire to control who’s in, who’s out, and what they’re allowed to do. Whether it’s building a wall, banning Muslims, or refusing to negotiate with Iran, it’s all about asserting dominance and maintaining a rigid sense of order. A sense of order that, frankly, seems increasingly divorced from reality. The “Art of the Deal” or the “Art of the Tantrum”? Trump famously wrote a book called “The Art of the Deal.” But his approach to Iran feels less like a negotiation and more like a prolonged temper tantrum. “I don’t like you! You’re bad people! I refuse to talk to you until you change!” That’s not diplomacy; that’s playground politics. And the stakes are a hell of a lot higher than a scraped knee on the blacktop. The Inevitable Question: What’s the Endgame? So, what’s the endgame here? Does Trump actually believe he can force Iran to collapse? Does he think sanctions alone will do the trick? Or is this all just a negotiating tactic, a way to strong-arm Iran into accepting a new, more favorable (to the US, of course) deal? Honestly, I’m not sure even Trump knows. And that’s the scariest part of all. Remember the Contradictions! It’s essential to remember Trump’s own contradictions on this issue. In 2016, he railed against the Iran deal, promising to tear it up on day one. He did. Then what? A whole lot of nothing, except escalating tensions and a return to nuclear development by Iran. So, was the deal really the problem, or was it something else entirely? Occam’s razor suggests the latter: it was about control, and an unwillingness to engage with those he deems “unworthy.” Snarky Takeaway Look, I’m not saying diplomacy is easy. Dealing with complex geopolitical situations is a messy, frustrating process. But refusing to even try, to simply declare an entire nation illegitimate, is not a strategy. It’s a recipe for disaster. And while I appreciate a good disaster movie as much as the next burnt-out millennial, I’d rather not see one play out in real life, especially when the potential consequences are so devastating. So, buckle up, folks. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride. “` Post navigation Trump’s Doctor: Rash? Must Be All The Winning!