The Shoe Moves From One Foot to Another

For the moment at least, common sense seems to have overtaken President Trump. As of 10:18 a.m. ET on Monday, March 23, 2026 The New York Times is reporting  

President Trump told reporters that the U.S. and Iran had held “very strong talks” that would continue today by phone. He said his envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were leading the talks from the U.S. side, and had been dealing with a “top person” in Iran, but wouldn’t name the person. Trump said the person is not Iran’s supreme leader. Iran, at least publicly, appeared to reject any progress in ending the U.S.-Israeli war earlier on Monday.

At 7:44 p.m. ET on March 21, Trump Truth Socialed (tweet/tweeted; Truth Social/Truth Socialed)

If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!

On March 14, the President stated that he's not ready to negotiate with Iran "because the terms aren't good enough yet." However, a few hous after Trump's threat of March 21 to target Iran's power plants, Tehran said the Strait would be "completely closed"   if the American president followed through on his threat.

Iran- for the moment- is balking at talks- as its ministry of foreign affairs claiming Trump's entreaty, Times explains, is in part an attempt "to reduce energy prices and to buy time for implementing his military plans."  Tehran believes (or at least seems to believe)  that for the moment, it holds the cards.

As the French would say (were it a French expression), "La situation est inversee."  The shoe is on the other foot. "The Art of the Deal" guy- or almost anyone- should have foreseen this situation. If this tweeter's translation from Hebrew is accurate, a former Prime Minister of Israel realized (Sunday evening, 3/26, in the eastern USA, it appears)

 “Can the Strait of Hormuz be opened? You need to deploy two American divisions there and prepare to stay for months. That’s how the start of the war in Vietnam looked, the start of the war in Iraq, and the same in Afghanistan.

It succeeds at first. By the way, all wars, including this new chapter of ours, one must know: an initiated war starts with a brilliant achievement and impressive damage.

Then comes the stage of treading water, which I believe we have entered.

And if you don't know how to get out of it and cut it short in time, it ends in negotiations under conditions inferior to what existed before it all started, or in defeat.

And America hasn't won a single war. It won almost every battle, but it hasn't won a single war in the last 60 years.

All of this needs to be considered, and I very much hope I am wrong.”

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said,

“Can the Strait of Hormuz be opened? You need to deploy two American divisions there and prepare to stay for months. That’s how the start of the war in Vietnam looked, the start of the war in Iraq, and the same in Afghanistan.

It… pic.twitter.com/GTA7eVHNd5

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 23, 2026

Even before Trump's warning to Iran, Geoffrey Corn, described here as "a law professor at Texas Tech University and a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army who served as a military lawyer," noted of the President's zig-zagging "it certainly has a feeling of ready, fire, aim. He overestimated his ability to control the events once he unleashed this torrent of violence." 

Hopefully, the shoe will move back to the other foot. Better yet would be shoes for both sides, the USA/Israel side and Iran's side (enough of this metaphor!) Too much power in the hands of The Great Dealmaker, a convicted felon, would likely be very dangerous for the Middle East, and  ossiblybeyond.

 

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