Ten days into the war, there still isn’t a good answer why Trump decided to go to war against Iran. None of the proffered rationales stand up to scrutiny. But the answer is clear—he went to war because he could. Hubris, in other words.
newsletter.ivodaalder.com/p/why-did-tr...
This week’s reads (and audios): Lots on the Iran War, and a great piece on Diego Garcia as well as a little about China. Here you can also find my interviews and recent writings. Enjoy! open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...
Yes. It will continue to be available as a podcast wherever you download these. The video will also appear on my YouTube channel and Substack.
I’m excited that, starting tomorrow, @wbez.org Chicago will broadcast “World Review with Ivo Daalder” Sunday mornings at 7 am. Please tune in!
My latest take on the Iran War — Escalation is much more likely than de-escalation. But NATO isn’t likely to become involved. newsletter.ivodaalder.com/p/escalation...
This week on World Review: The US-Israel War with Iran. Iran’s War against the region and global economy. And the Pentagon’s War against Claude. And a special note for those in Chicago. You can now listen to World Review every Sunday, at 7 am, on @wbez.org. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...
About to join @stephruhle.bsky.social on @msnownews.bsky.social to talk the latest on Iran
I sat down with Bloomberg TV to talk about the latest news about the US war against Iran. My biggest fear: without a clear goal, we seem to be escalating without knowing what we want or how long it will take to get there. newsletter.ivodaalder.com/p/were-inten...
So Trump said today that Iran was going to strike US bases first and that’s why we had to go to war.
But he told Jake Tapper yesterday that his “biggest surprise” was that Iran struck Arab countries … which is where US bases are located.
Got it.
Is the U.S. strike on Iran a strategic necessity or a product of "Trumpian" hubris? I joined Diane Rehm to discuss why the "imminent threat" justification doesn't hold up.
📽️ Watch my analysis: open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...
Deleted prior post. Let me be clear, blaming Israel for war whose consequences Trump & co didn’t think thru is outrageous. If Trump didn’t want to go to war he shouldn’t have deployed the largest naval/air force since 2003. And he could have told Bibi no and made clear he’d stop supplying weapons.
Here’s what caught my eye this week — including some interesting details on the decision to go to war against Iran and what comes next. newsletter.ivodaalder.com/p/what-caugh...
The Peacemaker-in-Chief has become the Warmonger-in-Chief. But Trump is no more likely to be successful at making war than he was at making peace. But making war is far more dangerous and consequential than failing to make peace. newsletter.ivodaalder.com/p/from-peace...
I joined Ian Bremmer in Munich to talk about how Europe is moving on from its old relationship with the United States, more out of sorrow than spite, but moving on nevertheless. We also talked Ukraine, any why a ceasefire alone isn’t in Ukraine’s interest. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...
This week, Tom Friedman on the real threat to Israel, Nancy Youssef on what war with Iran might look like, and the Guardian’s deep dive on US-UK intel on Russia’s invasion plans, caught my eye. Plus a bunch of interviews I did this week. Enjoy! open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...
Trump dismissed Europe and NATO for having ever done anything for the US. But the “armada” he’s assembling to strike Iran couldn’t operate without the direct support of Europe. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...
Arguments that the rules-based order is dead, to paraphrase Mark Twain, are greatly exaggerated. The US-led Pax Americana is dead—by suicide. But Europe and other middle powers can preserve, reform, and advance it on their own. www.politico.eu/article/look...
The US is trying to end the economic stranglehold Putin is in, I told @levparnas.bsky.social earlier today.
My interview on CNN this morning on NATO’s importance. newsletter.ivodaalder.com/p/nato-is-vi...
NATO is a strategic bargain that ensures the US remains the world’s most powerful and economically secure nation at a fraction of the cost of going it alone—statement by US Ambassadors and Supreme Allied Commanders who served at NATO this century. newsletter.ivodaalder.com/p/nato-is-vi...
Just to be clear, as a matter of law, the United States is already obligated to help defend Greenland, which is part of NATO, if it is subject to armed attack.
"For the president of the United States to say that NATO doesn't come and help us is, for those countries who fought alongside us, whose sons and daughters and husbands were killed in order to defend our interest, offensive," says @ivodaalder.bsky.social.
Imagine Putin and Xi watching CNN’s interview with Steven Miller about the US attack on Venezuela. Here’s what could happen next. My take for @notusperspectives.bsky.social
www.notus.org/perspectives...
Here’s how we could lose NATO: Take Greenland. My interview with @politico.com West Wing Playbook. www.politico.com/newsletters/...
I joined 14 colleagues who served in multiple Republican and Democratic Administrations at NATO, the White House, and the Defense and State Departments to explain the strategic importance of Denmark and NATO to US security.
open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...
I talked with Elise Labott of Cosmopolitics about Greenland and NATO earlier today. Watch and let us know what you think! newsletter.ivodaalder.com/p/former-us-...
The attack on Venezuela wasn’t about drugs or democracy. It was about oil. With Trump, it’s always about oil.
But that’s yesterday’s obsession. China meanwhile is embracing renewables and winning the future. And that’s a problem. My latest for @politico.eu. www.politico.eu/article/the-...
Trump may find it easy to take Greenland. But the consequences for the United States are likely to be much bigger than he realizes. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...
