“You break it, you own it!”
A “Pottery Barn rule” cited by Secretary of State Colin Powell in August 2002 to warn President George W. Bush about the consequences of invading Iraq.
Donald Trump’s critics argue that he has made countless miscalculations and what many would describe as outright blunders since becoming the 45th president of the United States. They argue that these errors can be found in every aspect of his presidency and that a significant number violate the oath of office he took to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
As commander in chief during his first term, Trump frequently clashed publicly with his own Department of Defense leadership and career military officers. Some retired military officials have argued that Trump’s demands for unwavering, blind personal loyalty, his public demeaning of service records, and his disregard for expert advice have eroded the U.S. and allied armed forces’ confidence in his leadership and the public’s trust in his judgment. This distrust only escalated during his second term, particularly with the appointment of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his siding with Vladimir Putin over Volodymyr Zelenskyy during Russia’s illegal and immoral war with Ukraine.
However, Trump’s largest military and diplomatic blunder may involve decisions leading up to and during his recent war of choice with Iran. With 20/20 hindsight, Trump’s critics contend that not being a student of history, being unable to understand complex problems, being impulsive and thin-skinned, and “following his gut” rather than taking advice from experts all created a perfect storm that would ultimately allow Iran’s leadership and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to rebound from its most vulnerable position in decades.
And for the record, I don’t believe Iran should be allowed to possess nuclear weapons, either developed internally or supplied by a U.S. adversary. So, with that in mind, and rather than listing a full litany of mistakes made in dealing with Iran, the following twelve are representative of critics’ complaints:
1. Canceling U.S. participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on May 8, 2018.
This agreement, signed by Iran, the U.S., China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the European Union, limited Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Key terms in the JCPOA included Iran cutting its enriched uranium stockpile by about 90%; restricting key nuclear sites like Fordow and Arak from producing weapons-grade nuclear material; allowing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regular access to monitor and inspect Iran’s nuclear sites; and having the U.S., EU, and UN lift major nuclear-related economic sanctions on Iran. Throughout the nearly three-year period during which the agreement was in place, the Strait of Hormuz remained open to commercial shipping, with no blockages or fees imposed by Iran.
2. Initially deploying Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to lead backchannel and indirect diplomatic talks with Iranian representatives during his second term.
Both Witkoff and Kushner are New York real estate developers who have been criticized for financial conflicts of interest stemming from blending their private business dealings with their roles as government emissaries for Trump. They both lack relevant diplomatic experience, detailed knowledge of Iran’s history, an in-depth understanding of Iran’s current political environment, and the requisite skills to formulate and implement U.S. policy in the Middle East. Their inability to resolve issues early on contributed to the conflict we are experiencing today.
3. Telling the world that Operation Midnight Hammer completely and totally obliterated Iran’s key nuclear facilities and program.
Trump falsely asserted that the June 2025 airstrikes by B-2 bombers dropping bunker-buster bombs on sites including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan had successfully destroyed the regime’s nuclear capabilities, which was disputed by his own intelligence reports. He later modified his messaging to say that despite this obliteration, Tehran had attempted to restart and rebuild its nuclear enrichment capability, setting the stage for further military escalation.
4. Being naïve and overconfident that any future conflict with Iran could be concluded quickly and without U.S. casualties, incorrectly based on the successful military action in Venezuela in January 2026.
Trump told The New York Times that the Venezuela outcome was a “perfect scenario” and that he anticipated a quick collapse and rapid regime change in Tehran after joint U.S.-Israel airstrikes during Operation Epic Fury. Critics and intelligence reports have noted that Trump and his advisors failed to understand that Iran had vastly superior military depth, extensive regional proxies, and an organized and decentralized religious-secular command network unlike Venezuela’s isolated, centralized leadership structure.
5. Bowing to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pressure to initiate Operation Epic Fury.
It is extremely unusual for the president to meet with any foreign leader in the White House Situation Room, since this location is reserved for top-secret crisis management, military operations, and intelligence briefings with national security teams. However, Netanyahu initially pushed for joint U.S.-Israel military action during a White House Situation Room meeting on February 11, 2026. Netanyahu delivered his final argument during a phone call with Trump on February 27th, leading the president to order Operation Epic Fury later that same day.
6. First alienating key international allies; then failing to notify them or seek their support before launching Operation Epic Fury.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has disparaged and alienated NATO, Asian, and other allies. In bizarre reasoning, Trump defended his decision not to warn allies by referencing Pearl Harbor during a March 19, 2026, White House meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Persian Gulf allies also expressed disapproval because they didn’t receive any warning or were given time to prepare for Iran’s inevitable retaliation against them with drones and missiles. Not surprisingly, administration requests for help from NATO countries in “cleaning up” Trump’s “mess” received a chilly response.
7. Neither anticipating nor believing that Iran could and would close the Strait of Hormuz or recognizing its implications.
It is important to note that prior to Trump launching his war with Iran, the Strait of Hormuz remained open without Iran attempting to charge any transit fees. Furthermore, the U.S. intelligence community and military planners knew that Iran would most probably close the Strait of Hormuz and pressure the Houthis to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which is a key gateway to the Red Sea. Not surprisingly, retaliatory actions by Iran have significantly increased the cost of petroleum-based products and other commodities, created product shortages worldwide, and resulted in economic hardships around the globe.
8. Never clearly articulating the objectives of military action against Iran.
Not only did Trump and his team never clearly lay out for Congress, the American public, and the world at large the objectives of Operation Epic Fury and subsequent military actions, the reasons for going to war with Iran kept changing. At one time or another, rationale for hostilities included stopping Iran from further enrichment of nuclear material, curtailing Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons and the use of long-range missiles, regime change, and opening the Strait of Hormuz (which was open before the war). However, this was only one of many points of confusion that defined Trump’s overall lack of a coherent strategy, endgame, or off-ramp.
9. Failing to deter adversaries from supplying Iran with military intelligence and weapons.
It was clear from the outset that Iran needed support from Russia, China, and other countries to resist U.S. and Israeli military operations and effectively counterattack. U.S. intelligence officials report that Russia has provided Iran with tactical intelligence and tracking data on the movement of U.S. warships, aircraft, and other regional assets in addition to supplying advanced air defense technology, components, and technical expertise. China is also supplying Tehran with electronic components, chemicals, fuel, and manufacturing equipment used to sustain Iran’s domestic drone and missile production programs. While Trump has freely used tariffs and other sanctions on many countries, he refuses to impose them on Russia and China, with Russia being particularly vulnerable considering its tenuous position in Ukraine.
10. Falsely declaring that the war with Iran is essentially over and that a peace deal will be signed post haste.
Trump has claimed at least 40 times that an end to the conflict or an imminent peace deal with Iran was at hand. These false statements were repeatedly made on social media, at public appearances, and during media interviews. The world has come to recognize that Trump often lives in an alternate universe, never tells the truth, and cannot be trusted. Sadly, all this has diminished the U.S.’s reputation as a trusted partner around the world.
11. Refusing to divulge the full extent of U.S. military and civilian casualties during the war with Iran.
Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have not been transparent in reporting military and civilian casualties, and they have faced severe backlash and multiple accusations of a cover-up for shifting, lowering, and reclassifying dead and wounded numbers in public databases. In addition, independent sources have reported that the U.S. military has dismissed or inaccurately tracked and confirmed widespread civilian casualties in Iran and elsewhere.
12. Dangerously depleting U.S. weapon stockpiles, causing strategic vulnerabilities.
Groups like the Center for Strategic and International Studies have reported that operations associated with the Iran war have consumed up to 80% of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors and over 60% of Patriot supplies from prewar levels. Inventories of Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles are also down by roughly a third or more. It was recently reported that Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Air Force General Dan Caine warned Trump and Hegseth of this problem, which resulted in Trump temporarily “pausing” air strikes in Iran.
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So, considering these twelve “alleged” mistakes and others not listed, combined with a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday that found only 32 percent of registered voters in the U.S. approve of Trump (the lowest percentage that the pollster has ever recorded in either of his terms), do you agree with the accusations made by Trump’s critics, or do you think his detractors are being overly harsh?
Also, what do you think should be done now to bring this five-month-long war with Iran to a just and lasting end? In answering this question, begin by deciding which of the previous twelve mistakes can be corrected and which are irreversible.
For more on how Donald Trump uses a seven-point process to create problems and then attempt to resolve the very problems he’s created, with the war in Iran as a case study, see:
Reference Link:- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/twelve-many-mistakes-made-iran-art-collins-hgcfe/