Trump's unpredictable Iran policy baffles Americans, allies

Donald Trump's fluctuating approach to the Iran conflict, marked by policy reversals and impulsive statements, has sparked widespread confusion and raised concerns about the stability of US foreign policy.

US President Donald Trump's flip-flops since the start of the "military operations" a month ago have baffled Americans.

Trump's regular commentary on the war has drawn criticism for being "impulsive" – to put it mildly – to a derisive "Trump Always Chickens Out (TACO)" by social media users.

In an interaction with reporters earlier this month, Trump appeared to seek help from European nations and others dependent on oil and gas from the Middle East in securing the Hormuz Strait, a narrow Iran-controlled waterway used to transport one-fifth of the global crude supplies.

"If we need their mine boats or if we need anything, any piece of apparatus that they may have because of a situation that they have, they should be jumping to help us. We want them to come and help us with the Strait," Trump said.

But in the same breath, he added, "My attitude is, we don't need anybody. We're the strongest nation in the world. We have the strongest military by far in the world. We don't need them."

The US President's appeal for help in securing the Strait of Hormuz has received a cold response from European nations, China, and South Korea, among others.

"All of those countries that can't get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the US, we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday.

Last week, the US President threatened to "obliterate" Iran's power plants if Tehran does not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

The next day, Trump put the strikes on hold – first for five days and then for another 10 days, citing negotiations with a leader in Iran, who appeared to be in control of the situation there.

Analysis of Trump's wartime communication

"Instead of a cold and calculating explanation of his reasons for going in, Trump has sounded much more impulsive and emotional. The problem, then, is any backtracking or scaling back undermines his own ego and posturing," Edward Lengel, a former chief historian for the White House Historical Association, was quoted by American media outlet 'Roll Call'.

Engel said Trump was the "most involved wartime president since Abraham Lincoln," but described the trait as a flaw as it leads to a lack of consistent plan being decided by commanders.

"Most presidents since have actively tried to avoid that and be seen as behind the scenes, leaving the tactical and strategic decisions up to the generals," added Lengel, a military historian by training.

"For the world there is no longer any such thing as American credibility, just a strange reality television show in which the main actor swerves, bobs and weaves his way through crises, hoping that what he says today will solve the crisis caused by what he said yesterday," Fareed Zakaria, foreign affairs analyst, said in an article in the Washington Post. 

Social media and Public Opinion

Trump's call for postponing the strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure drew ridicule from social media users.

"Enough tacos here for a New Mexican restaurant chain," Josh Marshall, the founder of Talking Points Memo, said in a post on BlueSky social media platform.

The term TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) was coined last year when the US President held out a threat of imposing massive tariffs and backing out later.

"TACO Tuesday coming a day early…" California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office said in a post on X, referring to reports of Trump telling aides that he was ready to end the war without reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

An opinion poll by Pew Research found that about six in ten or 61 per cent Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the war with Iran. It said 37 per cent approved of the war.

Recently, Trump claimed that a CNN poll among MAGA supporters – his key voter base – found 100 per cent support for the war.

According to the Pew Research survey, Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents overwhelmingly disapprove of Trump's handling of the conflict (90 per cent) and say the US made the wrong decision in striking Iran (88 per cent).

In contrast, about seven-in-ten Republicans and Republican leaners approve of how Trump is handling the conflict (69 per cent) and think the US made the right decision (71 per cent).

In the AP-NORC poll, 52 per cent of Republicans said US military action in Iran has been about right, and another 20 per cent said it hasn't gone far enough, compared to 90 per cent of Democrats who said that it's gone too far.

The Quinnipiac survey found 79 per cent of Republicans think the war with Iran will make the world safer, while 74 per cent of Democrats think it will make the world less safe.

Expert commentary on Trump's approach

Michael Rubin, a historian at the American Enterprise Institute who worked as a staff adviser on Iran and Iraq at the Pentagon from 2002 to 2004, said Trump is "the first president of any party in recent history that hasn't self-constrained to live within rhetorical boundaries."

"So of course it creates a great deal of confusion," he said.

Trump's unpredictable responses to the war have even confused his Republican compatriots.

Politico reported that House Armed Services Committee chair Mike Rogers, a Republican Congressman, complained about how lawmakers are "not getting enough answers" to questions about the war after a closed-door briefing with Defence Department officials last week.

Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace voiced her concerns about US operations transforming into boots on the ground: "Let me repeat: I will not support troops on the ground in Iran, even more so after this briefing," Mace said in a post on X.